WASHINGTON

US Independent Senator Bernie Sanders sharply criticized the Democratic Party on Wednesday following Vice President Kamala Harris' loss in the presidential election to former President Donald Trump.

The 83-year-old Vermont senator, a progressive who caucuses with the Democrats, called the party’s campaign strategy "disastrous," saying it underscored a growing disconnect with working-class Americans.

"It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working-class people would find that the working class has abandoned them," Sanders said in a statement.

"While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right," he added.

Sanders also criticized continued US military aid to Israel, despite opposition from most Americans.

"Today, despite strong opposition from a majority of Americans, we continue to spend billions funding the extremist Netanyahu government's all-out war against the Palestinian people, which has led to the horrific humanitarian disaster of mass malnutrition and the starvation of thousands of children," he said.

Sanders, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, highlighted the economic instability many Americans are faced with, from income inequality to a lack of guaranteed paid family leave, issues he said continue to fuel voter frustration.

Winning a fourth Senate term on Tuesday, he expressed doubts about whether Democratic leaders would take lessons from the election.

"Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign? Probably not," he said.

Trump surpassed the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win reelection early Wednesday and currently stands at 295 to Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris' 226, according to The Associated Press.

Harris conceded the election in a speech at Howard University, her alma mater, on Wednesday, reaffirming her commitment to the ideals of "freedom, opportunity, fairness, and the dignity of all people."