After endorsing President Joe Biden’s reelection bid this week, New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez received harsh criticism from the supporters of Biden’s unlikely left-leaning rivals.
AOC was questioned by co-host Jon Favreau (the former Obama official, not the Marvel actor and filmmaker) on this week’s episode of the Pod Save the World podcast about whether she would endorse Biden over unknown Democratic rivals like Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
AOC’s response was unambiguous:
JON FAVREAU (NOT THAT ONE): So president’s only primary opponents are Marianne Williamson, Robert F Kennedy Jr. Haven’t been any rumors about anyone else even thinking about jumping in. Will you be supporting Joe Biden for reelection?
REP. OCASIO CORTEZ: I believe, given that field, yes. I think he’s done quite well, given the limitations that we have. I do think that there are ebbs and flows as there are in any president, in any presidency. You know, I there are areas that I think were quite strong when he came right out of the gate with the American Rescue Plan. And, of course, the Inflation Reduction Act was a massive step in terms of our climate agenda.
But there are also areas that I think could have gone better. We have major structural issues in this country and start, I think it starts with the United States Senate. And I think that until we have senators that are willing to stand up and steer the filibuster in the eyes, there are a lot of structural issues about the Senate, and the United States Senate will be what holds back this country from an enormous amount of progress.
The response from left-progressives, many of whom probably formerly backed AOC, was vehement and occasionally vicious. Briahna Joy Gray, a former senior advisor to Bernie Sanders, had a more measured response, writing:
Endorsing Joe Biden now is a betrayal of progressive interests. It was true of Bernie Sanders’ endorsement & its true of AOC.
*Most* Democrats don’t want Biden to run. Bernie and AOC are tragically out of step w/ the movement & the moment.
However, Gray also faced criticism for her criticism of AOC, so she defended herself in a string of tweets.