Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls for swift government action to protect Americans from coronavirus pandemic
New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joins Bret Baier on 'Special Report' to discuss the U.S. response to the coronavirus crisis and her support for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has disputed a recent Politico report that suggested she might be modifying her socialist views, claiming the piece was part of a campaign to demoralize the left.
During an Instagram Live session Tuesday, Ocasio-Cortez was asked whether the article, titled "The 'new' AOC divides the left," was "based in reality."
"If anything, I've only gotten more ardent in my positions," Ocasio-Cortez said, adding "but I do think it's funny that all these folks that one day are like, 'keep your third eye open,' 'manufactured consent,' are the same ones who fall the fastest for these ploys to demoralize the left."
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The Politico article portrayed Ocasio-Cortez as making strategic decisions indicating she was more open to compromise than when she first entered Congress. It also featured quotes from top Democratic operatives speculating that Ocasio-Cortez was becoming more moderate.
"Neera Tanden, president of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress and a longtime Hillary Clinton aide, called Ocasio-Cortez's shift 'a sign of leadership,'" the article read. It also quoted James Carville, who has criticized the party's leftward drift, similarly speculating about a change in Ocasio-Cortez's disposition.
"Maybe she is — I don’t speak for her — coming to the conclusion that she wants to be part of the coalition," said Carville, a former aide to President Bill Clinton.
The article received considerable pushback on Twitter. "Not sure what to make of this @politico piece on AOC claiming she's gone establishment," Peter Daou, a former adviser to Hillary Clinton, tweeted.
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"Watching @politico run a clinic on dividing the left by writing a smear piece on @AOC. Don't fall for it," tweeted Hector Oseguera, a New Jersey congressional candidate.
In response to a request for comment from Fox News, Politico highlighted a tweet from Holly Otterbein, one of the story's authors, that responded to Ocasio-Cortez's Instagram Live remarks.
"Worth noting ... AOC doesn't dispute any facts in the story," Otterbein wrote.
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