What’s wrong with millennials and those working class guys (WCGs)? What do they see in that septuagenarian socialist and that overbearing braggart? The chattering class is baffled. They just don’t get it.

For three decades WCGs saw their jobs outsourced and mechanized. Small family businesses disappeared. Whole industries vaporized. Rural economies imploded. Describing the devastating impact of trade policy on American workers, prominent liberal economist Jared Bernstein recently observed in The Washington Post: “No wonder they’re angry.”

WCGs and millennials weren’t looking for tax breaks or to make a fortune on Wall Street. They only want to support their families. But they’ve been clobbered by globalization and trade policies chasing cheap labor and cheap prices. And if that wasn’t bad enough, both parties colluded in swamping American labor markets with foreign workers.

And they are still at it.

Last year, Republican leadership quadrupled H2-B visas for unskilled workers, slipping the increase into a must-pass spending bill, avoiding press coverage or public debate. No wonder Trump supporters despise Republican leadership.

And mainstream media? An obedient echo chamber incessantly gushing over diversity turned a deaf ear to how immigration policies were impacting native born workers and legal immigrant workers. Press jobs weren’t at risk. Why should they care? And, oh yes, WCGs better hang their heads and apologize for their privilege.

Are we surprised their suicide rates and opiate addictions went through the roof?

When WCGs lost millions of good manufacturing jobs from outsourcing and millennials are facing a future of low-paying service jobs, what were they offered? Finger wagging sermons about the danger of “protectionism.” Protecting jobs? Oh no! Bad, bad, bad!

But in contrast, politicians made a civil-rights cause of protecting the jobs of illegal migrants. They passed seven amnesties for 6 million, encouraging another 12 million to settle in. Now they are expecting their amnesty, too. Angry protesters are throwing rocks at Trump events and waving Mexican flags. Journalists tell us the poor dears are frustrated.

If Trump supporters, who don’t throw rocks at Hillary events, had acted like this, they would be compared to Nazi brown shirts. But illegal migrants have become the favored protected child. Newspapers are filled with their compelling personal stories; and if they commit crimes, immigration status is conveniently omitted. Favored indeed.

Then along came Trump and Bernie. WCGs were stoked. Millennials hit the streets. The voiceless finally had a voice, throwing a gigantic monkey wrench into an increasingly rigged political system. Building walls and loan forgiveness may be unworkable, but they raise real issues about real people who have been ignored for a long time.

Bottom line: This isn’t just about immigration or student debt or health insurance. This fight is between a powerful, well-organized, articulate investor/employer class and the people who work — who are neither well organized nor articulate.

Rich guys have colluded with Congress to determine trade, banking and immigration policies, which radically altered the national economy to their benefit. They funded the think tanks and paid the experts who told the people what was good for us.

Big money thought they had everything under control, dumping a hundred million on their anointed choice — Jeb Bush. And poof! They got nothing. And now they are flabbergasted.

Big money confidently funded both parties for years, insuring that all viable candidates championed their free trade/mass immigration scheme for America’s future. We weren’t supposed to have any other choice. And we didn’t … until now. But what a choice. How did we get here?

It didn’t need to happen. With a little empathy and fair play for American workers, both WCG’s and millennials, Washington might have tempered its enthusiasm for foreign labor and ended illegal job competition at home with a few common sense reforms, as recommended by President Bill Clinton’s U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform 20 years ago.

But moderation and fair play never had a chance. Politicians ignored the commission, turned a deaf ear to American workers and championed the open borders “diversity improves us” narrative.

Even now, Congress is working to expand legal immigration and concoct special federal protections of dubious constitutionality to shield the jobs of the favored ones, who colluded in Social Security card fraud, identity theft and tax evasion to get those jobs.

The press turns a blind eye and slavishly repeats the talking points fed to them.

In short, political and media elites picked favorites. And they call Trump and Sanders “divisive”? That’s rich.

Jonette Christian is a member of Mainers for Sensible Immigration Policy. She lives in Holden.