Ben Shapiro criticised Bernie Sanders after the senator condemned billionaires for accumulating wealth far beyond what they could spend.In a post on X on October 23, 2026, Shapiro argued that Sanders' message justified the government taking another person’s property through force."Bernie's politics is the essence of greed."Shapiro was responding to a video clip showing Sanders speaking at an event in El Paso, Texas. In the clip, Sanders said that billionaires who already had more money than they could spend in a thousand lifetimes continued to demand more, regardless of the consequences for ordinary people. According to KTSM, he said,“Greed is not good. Love and compassion is good. Empathy is good. But billionaires with more money than they can spend in a thousand lifetimes, who say, ‘I need more and more and more, and I don’t care what happens to ordinary people.’ We have got to take that on full steam ahead.”The remarks were made during Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which has included campaign events ahead of the November US midterm elections.More about Bernie Sanders’ remarksAs reported by WWMT on October 22, 2026, Bernie Sanders made the remarks during a rally in El Paso, Texas. He said,“Greed is not good. Love and compassion is good. Empathy is good (sic).”He went on to argue that billionaires with more money than they could spend in a thousand lifetimes continued to seek additional wealth without concern for ordinary people. He concluded by calling for action against what he described as the concentration of wealth.Bernie Sanders’ remarks focused on billionaire wealth and its effects on ordinary people, while Ben Shapiro’s response characterised the senator’s position as an argument for government coercion. At the time of press, Sanders had not responded to Shapiro's remarks.Bernie Sanders’ ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ tour heads into the midtermsThe remarks came during Bernie Sanders’ nationwide “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here” tour. CBS4 reported on October 19 that Sanders held a rally at the Abraham Chavez Theatre in El Paso, Texas, alongside Representative Greg Casar and former Representative Beto O’Rourke. The event coincided with the start of early voting in Texas.Bernie Sanders @BernieSandersLINKOn our way to Texas for Fighting Oligarchy rallies in Amarillo, El Paso and Houston.Musk is spending $190 million to try to buy the U.S. Senate election here. Thanks Elon for making it clear to Texans exactly what oligarchy is.Sanders’ official tour schedule lists the El Paso event on October 19 and a Houston stop on October 20. The tour focuses on challenging the influence of wealthy individuals and corporate interests in American politics, according to the senator’s official website. The events were held ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.The campaign activity also extended to Michigan. WWMT reported on October 22 that Sanders was scheduled to join Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed for a rally at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids on Sunday. The event was part of Bernie Sanders’ tour across Michigan, with additional stops planned in Alpena and Ann Arbor.WWMT reported that the Grand Rapids rally was scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. The outlet said the event was taking place during the final two weeks before the midterm election, with early in-person voting in Michigan due to begin on Saturday, October 24, 2026.