Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she’s glad she was proven wrong after predicting that party leaders would try to remove not only Joe Biden but also Kamala Harris from the top of the Democratic ticket.
The New York Democrat was among the latest to insist Biden should remain in the race for 2024, and warned that she had been part of conversations in which Democrats had also discussed ousting Harris.
“I think some of the skeptics and people who I think were skeptical were surprised by that,” Ocasio-Cortez told DailyMail.com.
“And I was glad to see that the party was supporting her. I think I raised those concerns because of conversations that I had seen and was aware of before that point, and I’m glad to see that there was a response.”
Since Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday, Democrats have been throwing their support in quick succession to Harris, who has just over 100 days to prove herself to the electorate before Nov. 5.
But Harris appears to be off to a strong start: She raised $81 million in the 24 hours after Biden dropped out and endorsed her to replace him.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she’s glad she was proven wrong after predicting that party leaders would try to remove not only Joe Biden but also Kamala Harris from the top of the Democratic ticket.
The New York Democrat was one of the last to hold firm that Biden should remain in the race for 2024, and warned that she had been part of conversations in which Democrats had also discussed ousting Harris.
“That really shows that there was a huge gap in enthusiasm between Democrats and Republicans,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., a friend of Biden’s, said Harris would appeal to younger voters and Black voters after Biden was losing support among those demographics.
“We need to get young people excited. It’s clearly attracting the African-American community,” he said.
“The people of Flint, my hometown, the enthusiasm for Harris there, the level of enthusiasm we’re seeing — this is not hyperbole, this sounds like a Joe Biden comment — but hundreds of new volunteers coming into our headquarters across the state of Michigan, people who are suddenly really excited,” Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., said of what he’d seen in the day since Biden dropped out of the race.
But in an Instagram Live address on Friday, the New York Democrat said it’s “nonsense” for Democrats to be giving anonymous quotes to reporters about why they don’t think Biden can win the election.
“If that’s your opinion and if you think it’s the best thing for the country, put your name down, OK?” he said. “That’s nonsense.”
The congresswoman said that former President Trump “is also very old, he is racist and he is a neo-Nazi.”
He denounced a “lack of reflection” on the part of Democratic leaders who did not want Biden to run but did not have a foolproof alternative plan.
He warned that much of the new anti-Biden Democratic establishment would also oust Harris.
“I’m just going to say it. If you think there’s a consensus among people who want Joe Biden to dump Kamala, that they’re going to support Kamala, support Vice President Harris, you’re wrong.”
“I’m in these rooms. I see what they’re saying in the conversations,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “They’re interested in eliminating the entire ticket.”
“A lot of donors and a lot of these elites, and a lot of these people in these rooms that I see pushing for President Biden not to be the nominee, are also not interested in seeing the vice president as the nominee. Will they win on that? I don’t know.”
“To a certain extent, I don’t care what name is written there. We’re not losing. I don’t know what you think, but my community doesn’t have the option to lose,” he continued. “My people are the first ones to be deported. They’re the first ones to be locked up in Rikers, they’re the first ones whose families die in the war.”
“I’m not here to tell you that if Joe Biden is the nominee, he’s definitely going to win, because I don’t believe that if anyone is the nominee, we’re definitely going to win,” Ocasio-Cortez also said Friday.
“There is no safe option,” he admitted.
“I can’t tell you all how embarrassing it feels to hear all these leaks about what the Democrat leaders are planning and not have any of them here confirming or denying it,” the Minnesota Democrat and progressive member of the ‘Squad’ wrote on X.
“It’s a failure of leadership and it’s making all Democrats look bad. Whatever the outcome of this mess, it won’t undo the damage that’s already been done. God help us all.”
President Joe Biden, sick with Covid, finds himself increasingly isolated
Biden, defiant, has publicly insisted that he will be the Democratic nominee and that only God or a “medical condition” would force him to withdraw. So far, he has received support from members of his family, first lady Jill Biden and his son Hunter, in his decision to stay.
Despite the campaign’s efforts at damage control, Biden appeared confused, rambling and irritated at times in an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt on Monday night. The official line remains that top Democrats did not pressure the president to resign.
Progressive activists were left scratching their heads as Squad House members became the last bastion of support for Biden, even at a time when it is relatively safe to demonstrate against him after the June 27 debate.
Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., have all strongly supported Joe Biden to remain at the top of the ticket, while now nearly 20 House Democrats have urged him to step down.
“Joe Biden is our nominee. He’s not going to drop out of this race. He’s in this race and I support him,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters earlier this month.
Reps. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., have made comments supporting the president.