In an Instagram live stream lasting nearly an hour, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez voiced her concerns about the possibility of incumbent President Joe Biden being replaced as the Democratic nominee for president. She also labeled former President Donald Trump as a “racist” and a “neo-Nazi.”
During her live stream, Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged uncertainty about the Democratic Party’s upcoming decision on their nominee, noting that the recent presidential debate was disappointing for everyone, including Biden. However, she argued that the debate performance did not significantly alter voter perceptions leading up to the election.
“I’m pretty sure a lot of people knew that the president is old. The president is very old. Donald Trump is also very old and a racist and a neo-Nazi. But anyways, I’m not going to talk about Trump right now,” she remarked.
Ocasio-Cortez discussed internal conversations within the Democratic Party, among donors, and influential figures, suggesting that some are leveraging their power to push for outcomes that might not reflect the will of the people. She also criticized anonymous leaks by Democratic officials to the press, insisting that if they have strong opinions, they should “put their name on it.”
“There have been lots of Democrats who have been giving little anonymous quotes to the press, to some journalist to print, and I’m not here to knock the press on it,” she said. “I’m here to knock my colleagues on it, because to me, I think that’s, and I’m sorry, I’m going to say because it’s after midnight. That’s bullsh*t. Like, if you have an opinion, say it with your chest and say it in public.”
Ocasio-Cortez continued, “I’m not coming for the people who have made a public statement and put their name on it. Like, Lord knows, I’ve done plenty of that myself. I’m talking about people who are too scared to say what they want to say in public, but somehow not afraid to say what they want to say to a journalist so long as they promise not to use their name. That’s a bunch of horsesh*t.”
The congresswoman also stated on Friday that she believes some donors pushing for Biden to be replaced as the nominee do not want Kamala Harris to take his place.
“If you think that there is consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to leave that they will support Vice President Harris, you would be mistaken,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “They’re not going to be fully honest, but I’m going to be honest for them.”
Her comments about a potential Biden replacement on the Democratic ticket come as the Harris team has been actively strategizing to make her the presumptive Democratic nominee should the president withdraw from the race.