How the Democrats Screwed Bernie

An explosive inside account of how the Democratic establishment used every weapon in its arsenal to subvert the will of the people and stop Bernie Sanders's presidential bid in 2016--told by his chief strategist who witnessed it all firsthand.

One question haunted the American left after the 2016 election: how could a grassroots movement that drew massive crowds and shattered fundraising records fail? The answer exposes fundamental flaws in American democracy itself.

In How the Democrats Screwed Bernie, Sanders's chief strategist in the 2016 Democratic primary unravels how the "Clinton Machine"--a network of operatives, Super PACs, and media allies--in consort with the Democratic National Committee deployed dark money and dirty tricks to stop a wildly popular outsider candidate. A candidate who may well have been the peoples' choice and defeated Donald Trump.

You'll discover how deeply the entrenched Democratic establishment orchestrated opposition research campaigns, the true story behind the voter file crisis that nearly derailed the campaign, and why primary rules are deliberately structured to favor insiders over often more compelling outsiders.

This isn't just another campaign memoir. Nor is it just a reflection on the doomed Sanders's candidacy ten years hence. It is a cautionary tale about a crisis in American democracy that is becoming more urgent by the day. As voters grapple with growing distrust of political institutions, How the Democrats Screwed Bernie reveals how our democratic processes really work, how they can be manipulated by those with enough money to game the system, and how the people can make their voices heard again.

This is the story the Democratic establishment doesn't want you to read.

Author: Tad Devine
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 07/07/2026
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.76lbs
Size: 8.55h x 5.79w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781668232286


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 05/18/2026

About the Author
Tad Devine is a Democratic political strategist with over thirty years of campaign experience. Prior to serving as chief strategist for Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign, he was a senior adviser in Al Gore's 2000 and John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaigns. In addition to his political work and media consulting, he has held academic positions at Boston University, the Harvard Kennedy School, and George Washington University, among others.