WASHINGTON — In a moment of existential turmoil for President Joe Biden, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has used her platform to emerge as a staunch ally of the incumbent. A roar of democratic voices who calls for retreat From the 2024 presidential race.
As former President Donald Trump wrapped up his lengthy speech accepting the GOP presidential nomination Thursday, the AOC — as it’s widely known — took to Instagram Live to speak directly to thousands of followers to make the case against Biden’s departure.
He questioned the feasibility of replacing Biden at this late stage, warning that some Republicans would legally challenge it, saying it could lead to “Clarence Thomas and the Supreme Court holding a presidential election” like in 2000.
Ocasio-Cortez has repeatedly emphasized that she respects the opinion of ordinary voters who want to see change on the ticket, and said that she does not guarantee that Biden will win if he stays in the race. But he warned that things could get more chaotic for Democrats if Biden wanted to to take an extraordinary step to end his campaign The Democratic convention is a few weeks away.
“If you’re super confident that 10,000% of the time the candidate or the president can’t beat Donald Trump, then do what you think is in your conscience. But I feel that I have not seen an alternative scenario that does not put us in great danger,” he said.
In a twist for the left-leaning Ocasio-Cortez, her comments make her among the stronger pro-Biden voices in the party right now. While more than 10% of Democrats in Congress called for Biden to drop out, few spoke out to criticize those votes and make a positive case for him to stay, with party leaders saying they would support whatever decision he makes.
While supporting the president, Ocasio-Cortez and other prominent progressives have in recent days persuaded Biden to embrace a number of his priorities for a potential second term — expanding Social Security, limiting rent increases, erasing medical debt from credit reports and Term limits in the Supreme Court.
Many progressives, including Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., are driven primarily by policy goals and know they have Biden’s ear. If he resigns, it is unclear who will replace him and how this relationship will change.
But others fear a Trump presidency if the ticket remains, and there is no clear consensus on whether Vice President Kamala Harris would be a better or worse prospect for the election or administration.
“Right now, people are in an existential crisis, in emergency mode,” one progressive strategist said of the mood in the movement. “S— hits the fan. … On the other side, there is this angle of chaos: What if there is a change in the ticket?”
The strategist said part of the reason progressives like Ocasio-Cortez are backing Biden is the “bird in the hand phenomenon” — a “comfort level” with Biden in the White House.
Ocasio-Cortez’s opinion is not shared by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. A day after his live broadcast, former CPC co-chair Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., called on Biden to back down.
“We must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing a winning campaign,” Pocan said in a joint message to Biden with three other House Democrats. “These perceptions may not be fair, but they have hardened since last month’s debate and are unlikely to change now. We believe that the most responsible and patriotic thing you can do at this time is to step aside as our candidate while continuing to lead our party from the White House.”
Ocasio-Cortez said during an Instagram Live that much of the effort to oust Biden from the race after his poor debate performance comes from the “donor class” and “elites” who don’t allow for an “easy transition.” Although Harris was nominated, he did not comment on Harris or any of the other alternatives.
“If you think there’s a consensus among people who want Joe Biden gone, they’re going to support Kamal — Vice President Harris,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I am in these rooms. I see what they say in conversations. Many of them are not only interested in removing the president from office. They are interested in removing the ticket in its entirety.”
He said that these efforts are strengthened by rich donors: “When I talk to people in the rooms, I hear: “My donor, this is my donor. These are the information I heard from my colleagues. It’s not like, ‘My constituents say this…’ it’s like, ‘big donors say this.'”
“I don’t give a damn what a bunch of rich people think,” he said.
The progressive strategist blamed Ocasio-Cortez’s donors and elites for wanting to take out the entire ticket, saying Biden could “preempt” the inevitable questions if he declines whether the nomination should go to Harris or not. open base.
His office did not comment beyond the extensive comments he made to his followers on the platform. Biden, for his part, has repeatedly and unequivocally said that he will not take a leave of absence. He said he would return to campaigning next week after self-isolating with a Covid diagnosis.
Lisa Lint-Vander Zouwen, a 46-year-old Grand Rapids resident and mother of two school-age daughters, called herself a “reluctant” Biden supporter. He’d like to see her step aside and be replaced by a “strong woman,” but not without competition.
“It would be nice to have some kind of process for that,” he said. “I don’t know what it’s going to look like, but some of the Democrats are coming together to discuss who would be a strong candidate and why Vice President Harris hasn’t defaulted.”
Ocasio-Cortez also warned her followers that Biden has unique electoral strengths that other Democrats can’t expect to replicate.
“Joe Biden is kind of stomping on the electoral path with older people, which is one of the strongest and most consistent electorates, and it’s actually a difficult electorate for Democrats to win.” These are not people on Twitter,” he said. “You can’t assume voters are switching to another candidate.”