Despite this grim outlook on current politics, he cautioned against losing hope and giving up. That "is an understandable response but it is not an acceptable response," he said. "It is not an acceptable response because the reality that we face today impacts not only our lives, but the lives of our children, the lives of our grandchildren and, with regard to climate change, the very future of this planet. The truth is that the only rational choice we have, the only real response we can make, is to stand up and fight back — reclaim American democracy and create a government that works for all of us, and not just the 1 percent."