WATCH: Bernie Sanders Makes Surprise Appearance at Coachella, Crowd Boos
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) made a surprise appearance at 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 12, 2025 in Indio, California. Mario Tama; Valerie Macon/Getty Images

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) surprised festival-goers at Coachella this weekend, delivering a brief but impassioned speech to a crowd roaring with applause for Sanders and boos for President Donald Trump.

Just ahead of indie pop artist Clairo's set, Sanders took the stage alongside 28-year-old Congressman Maxwell Frost (D-FL), the youngest member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Vermont senator used the moment to call on young people to engage politically and fight for justice.

"This country faces some very difficult challenges," Sanders said. "And the future of what happens to America is dependent upon your generation...We need you to stand up, to fight for justice—economic justice, social justice and racial justice," he continued, highlighting the urgency of issues surrounding justice and the environment.

WATCH: Bernie Sanders Makes Surprise Appearance at Coachella, Crowd Boos
US Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent from Vermont, is seen on giant screens as he speaks on stage during the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 12, 2025 in Indio, California. Valerie Macon/Getty Images

He noted President Donald Trump's stance on climate change, but was forced to pause as the crowd erupted in boos. "I agree," he responded to the raucous audience with a smile, prompting cheers.

"He thinks climate change is a hoax," Sanders continued. "He is dangerously wrong, and you and I are going to have to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and tell them to stop destroying this planet."

Sanders attended the festival following a "Fight Oligarchy" rally in Los Angeles where he spoke to a crowd of 36,000 alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

"The younger generation has to help lead in the fight to combat climate change, protect women's rights, and build an economy that works for all, not just the few," Sanders said in an X post, thanking the audience at Coachella.

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