Ocasio-Cortez Addresses Past Comments by Socialist Politicians

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., addressed past controversial remarks made by herself and other socialist politicians during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.” She humorously referred to the “Woke 1” era as “crazy.” When host Jon Karl asked about Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong’s controversial views, Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the need to focus on what candidates are currently saying.

Ocasio-Cortez said, “I have a local city councilman who has this saying, ‘Woke 1 was crazy,'” acknowledging past remarks with a laugh. She highlighted the importance of evaluating current statements made by politicians seeking office.

“I think that what’s important is that we have to assess what a candidate is saying now,” she stated.

Karl also questioned if the socialist movement had overstepped at any point, referencing Ocasio-Cortez’s previous stance on defunding the police. Ocasio-Cortez clarified that many of these remarks were made during the COVID shutdowns when people were more willing to consider various policy changes.

She explained, “I think that the doors were really open in trying to entertain any and every policy that was going to get us to a better place. And I actually think that the discussions that were had in that time were quite fruitful.”

Discussing crime, she mentioned, “I think that when we talk about crime today, it’s fundamentally different than the way that we talked about crime in bringing crime down. And I think we all share the goals of having as low a crime rate as possible.” She acknowledged that rhetoric used during lockdown is not the same as what would be used today.

Karl noted that the national Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), an organization supporting several Democratic politicians including Ocasio-Cortez, still advocates for abolishing the police. Ocasio-Cortez clarified that she belongs to the New York City chapter of the DSA, not the national body, and doesn’t align herself with all their positions.

Ocasio-Cortez had previously been endorsed by the DSA, but the group has withdrawn its endorsement for her re-election due to disagreements on funding to Israel and other positions.

Recently, there was division within the DSA on whether to endorse Ocasio-Cortez for a 2028 presidential run, as reported by Canary Mission. Despite internal conflicts, a spokesperson from Canary Mission told Fox News that her presidency could empower the movement significantly.