Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is embracing her position as considered one of her occasion’s sharpest critics of President Trump as different Democrats workshop a softer method to him.
The “squad” member skipped Trump’s inauguration, marking the primary in a collection of public back-and-forth exchanges with a number of the president’s most loyal defenders on social media. After declaring that she doesn’t assist “rapists” to clarify her absence, the firebrand congresswoman later directed her ire at Elon Musk for making what many Democrats perceived to be a “Nazi salute” whereas giving a political speech. Now, she’s calling the early days of Trump’s presidency a “billionaire feeding frenzy.”
Her actions come as Democrats are struggling to coalesce round a unified message in opposition to Trump simply two weeks into his second time period, with some high-profile figures within the occasion, reminiscent of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), even opening the door to working with him.
“She understands the importance of being seen doing and saying something,” mentioned one progressive Democratic commentator in New York. “The alternative is letting Trump suck up all the media oxygen again, and that has proven disastrous for Dems.”
As a substitute, she has turn into “the party’s most aggressive member,” the supply mentioned.
Democrats have reacted to the bullhorn of Trump’s second time period in a a lot completely different method from his first. Past being extra disjointed, critics say they lack an efficient counterattack. Trump’s already set off a wave of actions in January that will ordinarily alarm the occasion out of energy, however most strikes have been met with sporadic shrugs. Save a couple of press conferences and cable information hits, Democrats appear to have misplaced a lot of their anti-Trump spark.
Ocasio-Cortez is a notable exception. Within the first days of Trump’s return to Pennsylvania Avenue, the 35-year-old lawmaker has dialed up her social media to blast what liberals see as his most controversial early strikes, like the corporate he invited to sit down within the entrance row throughout his inauguration and the flurry of home and overseas govt actions he has since put forth.
For different Democrats, that vim and vigor appeared to go away the occasion as former President Biden transferred energy to Trump. “It was only on his way out that he was like, ‘This country’s controlled by oligarchs, bye,’” Ocasio-Cortez informed comic and podcast host Jon Stewart concerning the departing Democratic president.
The phrase “oligarch” is used amongst activists and left-wing lawmakers, however moderates are uncertain if the anti-billionaire rhetoric is correct for his or her rebrand. Like different progressives, Ocasio-Cortez has signaled that the way forward for the anti-Trump motion can be received by making a distinction alongside financial traces. “If you ask a working-class American or just any normal American, ‘What is a Democrat? What do they stand for?’ they will really not be able to give you a clear answer,” she mentioned to Stewart.
Whereas a couple of others within the Democratic caucus appear keen to agree, like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ocasio-Cortez’s title recognition and youth has gotten her seen for pushing the loudest as Democrats deliberate their messaging.
That rhetoric can go far on social media, however there’s a lingering disappointment amongst Ocasio-Cortez’s supporters that she received’t be capable to struggle formally after dropping her bid to turn into rating member on the Home Oversight and Authorities Reform Committee. A number of sources informed The Hill her willingness to cost forward in opposition to Trump amid Democratic apathy exhibits she may have dealt with that position.
Most additionally acknowledge, nevertheless, that she could possibly break by with out the foundations and bounds of congressional management.
“She’s really come into her own and has navigated well the changing politics away from purity, but not sacrificing her fighting spirit people so loved,” mentioned a progressive marketing campaign strategist who works carefully with a left-wing member of Congress. “She ran for Oversight chair, which would have made her the formal attack dog against Trump, but I don’t think she’s one to let titles stop her,” the strategist mentioned.
Pete D’Alessandro, a former marketing campaign organizer for Sanders who’s near some in Ocasio-Cortez’s interior circle, mentioned that she is addressing a necessity within the present Democratic response. “I think she may be filling a vacuum she sees in terms of Dems and Trump,” he mentioned.
She additionally seems keen to throw the primary punch. In contrast to different Democrats in response mode, the millennial progressive’s early proactive model has piqued Republicans’ curiosity. And a few Trump allies appear to take pleasure in being baited. There’s a perception in some GOP circles that she is beatable electorally, whereas others suppose her standing amongst her deep-blue constituents can be difficult to beat.
Musk, who has been one of the seen Trump lieutenants to spar with Ocasio-Cortez, has urged on his platform X that she is value beating on the poll field. She took to Instagram reside final week, saying: “Elon Musk can do whatever he wants behind the presidential seal, but in this country we hate Nazis.” Her feedback immediately angered GOP supporters who defended the tech chief after he made a gesture that to many resembled the Nazi salute. “Two of the foundational things in American history are that we beat the confederates and we beat the Nazis,” she mentioned.
Whereas some Democrats see Ocasio-Cortez as a possible future chief, Republicans and third-party politicians are additionally envisioning the potential slot she may fill in a deeply fractured occasion. Some see her most up-to-date strikes as an try to turn into extra mainstream, arguing that she’s making an attempt to remake anti-Trumpism in her personal mildew.
“She’s becoming much more establishment,” mentioned Larry Sharpe, a libertarian political guide who ran for New York governor in 2022.
With a wide-open area for brand spanking new expertise forward of 2026 and 2028, Sharpe and others are having fun with watching from the surface as she makes an attempt to push the bounds of each events.
“She has plenty of time,” he mentioned. “AOC, realistically, is a wonderful VP pick.”
