In a tumultuous moment for President Joe Biden, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has stepped up to become a staunch ally of the embattled incumbent, using her platform to speak out against Democratic voices are pouring in Who is Call on him to quit Starting with the 2024 presidential campaign.
As now-President Donald Trump wrapped up his lengthy speech accepting the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday, AOC, who is widely known, spoke directly to thousands of followers on Instagram Live to object to Biden’s withdrawal.
She questioned the feasibility of replacing Biden at such a late stage, warning that some Republicans would legally challenge it and saying that doing so could result in “a presidential election decided by Clarence Thomas and the Supreme Court,” Just like it was in 2000.
Ocasio-Cortez has repeatedly stressed that she respects the views of ordinary voters who want to see change on the ballot and said she cannot guarantee Biden will win if he remains in the race. But she warned that if Biden does so, things could get even messier for Democrats Take extraordinary action to end his campaign Just weeks before the Democratic National Convention.
“If you’re 10,000 percent sure that a candidate or a president can’t beat Donald Trump, then do whatever your conscience dictates. But I think I haven’t seen another scenario that doesn’t put us in this difficult position. There’s a huge danger. , “she says.
It’s a different story for the left-leaning Ocasio-Cortez, whose comments make her one of the more powerful pro-Biden voices in the party right now. While more than 10% of congressional Democrats have called on Biden to drop out of the race, few have publicly criticized those voices and made a positive case for him to stay, and party leadership has said they will support any decision he makes.
While supporting the president, Ocasio-Cortez and other prominent progressives have persuaded Biden in recent days to embrace several of their priorities in a potential second term — including expanding Social Security, limiting Rent increases, medical debt removed from credit reports, and Imposing term limits on the Supreme Court.
Many progressives, including Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, are driven primarily by policy goals and know they will listen to Biden. If he resigns, it’s unclear who will replace him and how the relationship will change.
But others worry that Trump will be elected president if this ticket remains, and there is no clear consensus on whether Vice President Kamala Harris has better or worse prospects in the election or in governing.
“People are in an existential crisis, a state of emergency right now,” one progressive strategist said of the mood within the movement. “S– hit the fan… There’s a confusing angle on the other side: What if the ticket changes?”
The strategist said part of the reason progressives like Ocasio-Cortez are backing Biden is the “bird in hand phenomenon” — Biden has a “comfort level” in the White House.
Ocasio-Cortez’s views are not shared by the entire Congressional Progressive Caucus. The day after the live broadcast, former CCP co-chairman Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., called on Biden to withdraw.
“We must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and health are jeopardizing an otherwise winnable campaign,” Pocan and three other House Democrats said in a joint message to Biden. “These perceptions are Maybe unfair, but they have hardened after last month’s debate and are unlikely to change now. We believe the most responsible and patriotic thing you can do at this moment is to resign our nominee. , while continuing to lead our party from the White House.
Ocasio-Cortez said on Instagram Live that much of the effort to oust Biden from the race due to his poor debate performance came from the “donor class” and “elites” who would not allow for an “easy transition” to Harry Si became the nominee, though she had no opinion on Harris or any of the other choices.
“If you think the consensus among people who want Joe Biden gone is that they’re going to support Kamala — Vice President Harris — you’re wrong,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I’m in these room. I saw what they were saying in the conversation. A lot of them were not just interested in removing the president.”
The effort is driven by wealthy donors, she said: “When I talk to people in the room, I hear, ‘My donor this, my donor that.’ Those are the things I hear. Colleagues reflected the opinion that it wasn’t ‘my constituents…’ but ‘big donors said so.
“I’m not happy with the idea of ​​a bunch of rich people,” she added.
The progressive strategist also said that by accusing donors and elites of wanting to reject entire ballots, Ocasio-Cortez may be “preempting” the problems that will inevitably arise if Biden does drop out , that is, whether the nomination should go to Harris, or whether it should be nominated by Harris.
Her office had no further comment beyond her broad remarks to fans on the platform. Biden has repeatedly emphasized that he will not withdraw. He said he would return to the campaign trail next week after self-isolating after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Grand Rapids resident Lisa Lint-Vander Zouwen, 46, a mother of two school-age daughters, called herself a “reluctant” Biden supporter. She said she would like to see him step down and be replaced by a “strong woman” – but not without competition.
“It would be nice if the three of them could become some sort of process,” she said. “I don’t know what that’s going to look like, but some Democrats are coming together to talk about who they think would be a strong candidate and why, without necessarily defaulting to Vice President Harris.”
Ocasio-Cortez also warned followers that Biden has a unique electoral advantage that other Democrats cannot replicate.
She said: “Joe Biden has some beef with older people in the election, which is one of the strongest and most consistent constituencies that Democrats will actually have a hard time winning over. Those are not the people on Twitter. . “You can’t assume voters will move to any other candidate. “
