Bernie Sanders BURNS 5 YEARS of Carbon—One Tour!

Bernie Sanders spent over $550,000 on private jet travel in 2025 while crusading against climate change, exposing the staggering hypocrisy of socialist elites who demand ordinary Americans sacrifice their freedom and prosperity to save the planet.

Story Snapshot

Sanders emitted 62.15 metric tons of CO2 during his 16-stop “Fighting Oligarchy” tour—equivalent to five years of carbon emissions for the average American
Federal Election Commission filings reveal Sanders spent over $550,000 on private jets in 2025 alone, adding to $1.9 million spent during his 2020 campaign
Private jets are up to 14 times more polluting per passenger than commercial flights, yet Sanders claims “no apologies” for his luxury travel
The self-proclaimed climate champion has spent campaign funds on private aviation dating back to 2016, contradicting his vocal support for the Green New Deal

Do As I Say, Not As I Fly

Senator Bernie Sanders embarked on his 2025 “Fighting Oligarchy” tour with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, crisscrossing the country in luxury private jets while lecturing Americans about climate responsibility. Federal Election Commission filings show Sanders spent more than $550,000 on private aviation during 2025, with payments distributed among Ventura Jets, Cirrus Aviation Services, and N-Jet. This spending represents a continuation of Sanders’ long-standing pattern of carbon-intensive campaign travel that began during his 2016 surrogate work for Hillary Clinton and escalated through his 2020 presidential bid, when his campaign dropped $1.9 million on private jets.

The Carbon Cost of Champagne Socialism

Power the Future, an energy watchdog group, released calculations showing Sanders emitted 62.15 metric tons of carbon dioxide during his 16-stop tour with AOC. These emissions equal burning 62,600 pounds of coal, driving a gas-powered SUV 150,000 miles, powering nine U.S. homes for an entire year, or more carbon than the average American produces in five years. The Bombardier Challenger jets Sanders used cost up to $15,000 per hour to operate—more than most Americans earn in months of work. According to a 2021 Transport and Environment report, private jets are up to 14 times more polluting than commercial planes on a per-passenger basis, making Sanders’ travel choices particularly damaging to the environment he claims to champion.

Sanders Defends the Indefensible

When Fox News’ Bret Baier confronted Sanders about his private jet use, the Vermont senator offered no remorse: “That’s the only way to get around. No apologies for that. That’s what campaign travel is about.” Sanders argued that conducting three to five rallies per week with crowds of 30,000 people makes commercial air travel impractical because he would waste time in airport security lines. This excuse rings hollow considering the Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles route Sanders frequently traveled offers more than a dozen commercial flights daily. Sanders’ campaign attempted damage control by purchasing $4,980 in carbon offsets from Native Energy, but questions remain about whether these offsets adequately compensate for emissions, as the company’s calculator doesn’t account for the significantly higher per-passenger emissions of private jets.

Undermining the Climate Movement’s Credibility

Sanders has consistently positioned himself as a climate warrior, calling climate change an “existential threat” and championing the Green New Deal. He has voted for legislation punishing Americans for their carbon footprints and advocated for transforming the U.S. energy system away from fossil fuels. This creates a glaring contradiction that even climate activists cannot ignore. Dan Turner, founder of Power the Future, stated bluntly: “The climate movement is dead, and Bernie Sanders’ hypocrisy helped kill it.” Republican National Committee spokesperson Ben Petersen characterized Sanders and AOC as “champagne socialists” who demand Americans surrender their conveniences while traveling in luxury. This hypocrisy exemplifies the progressive elite’s approach: imposing burdensome regulations on working families while exempting themselves from the sacrifices they demand of others.

The pattern extends across Sanders’ entire political career. During his 2016 work for Clinton, he “repeatedly requested and received the use of a carbon-spewing private jet.” In the two years following that election, Sanders spent at least $342,000 on private jet flights. Throughout his 2020 presidential campaign, private aviation costs exceeded $1.9 million. The 2025 spending of over $550,000 represents not an aberration but an escalation of Sanders’ jet-setting lifestyle. While Sanders claims he flew commercially for more than 45 rallies in 18 states during 2018, the overall trend reveals a politician deeply committed to luxury travel regardless of environmental consequences. This saga demonstrates what conservatives have long understood: the left’s climate agenda has never been about saving the planet but about controlling how ordinary Americans live while the political elite enjoy exemptions from their own rules.