AOC Vows ‘Out-And-Out Brawl’ If Harris Surrogate Goes After FTC Chair

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) pledged to engage in an “out and out brawl” if Democratic Party “billionaire” backers attempt to replace Vice President Kamala Harris’s pick for Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chair, Lina Khan.

Ocasio-Cortez’s fiery remarks came in response to comments made by Mark Cuban, a prominent supporter of the Harris-Walz campaign, who suggested in an interview with Semafor that he would not retain Khan if he were in Harris’s position. The Shark Tank star made it clear, however, that he had not directly communicated with Harris or her team regarding Khan. Cuban criticized Khan’s regulatory approach, especially concerning technology companies and artificial intelligence, according to reports from the New York Post and other outlets on Thursday.

“In the bigger picture, she’s doing more harm than good,” Cuban said.

Other Harris supporters, such as LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Expedia Group chairman Barry Diller, have also expressed significant dissatisfaction with Khan’s leadership.

Cuban expanded on his frustrations with Khan on the X platform (formerly Twitter), arguing that artificial intelligence is a “zero-sum race for global dominance.”

“This is about AI. It’s a zero-sum race for global dominance,” Cuban wrote. “If we lose, the stakes are far more than just economic. Several companies are vying to win this race, and their competition is pushing everyone forward. Even with the massive capital required.”

The self-identified democratic socialist from New York took to X to call out the billionaires who have been “playing footsie” with the Democratic Party.

“Let me make this clear, since billionaires have been trying to play footsie with the ticket: Anyone goes near Lina Khan and there will be an out and out brawl. And that is a promise,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “She shows this administration fights for working people. Removing her would be a terrible leadership decision.”

In response to Cuban’s criticism, FTC spokesperson Doug Farrar stated, “Chair Khan believes that fostering competition rather than centralized corporate control of markets is the best way to ensure that the best ideas prevail.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a fellow democratic socialist, also took a swipe at Cuban while praising Khan for “standing up to corporate greed and illegal monopolies,” calling her the “best” FTC chair in “modern history.”

“[Mark Cuban] is wrong. Lina Khan is the best FTC Chair in modern history,” Sanders said. “By taking on corporate greed and illegal monopolies, she’s doing an outstanding job protecting consumers from being ripped off and workers from being exploited.”

Bloomberg Brief also discussed Ocasio-Cortez’s vow to fight for Khan’s position during a segment on Thursday.

The Post added;

Throughout Khan’s tenure, she has gained a reputation for being tough on antitrust issues, causing complaints that she has hamstrung business deals.

In recent days, Khan has appeared at or been scheduled to appear at events with a handful of Democratic lawmakers — including Sanders and progressive Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) — as the 2024 campaign nears its end.

Ironically, Khan’s endeavors against Big Tech and conglomerates in other sectors have earned her occasional praise from populist Republicans such as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Republican vice presidential hopeful Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).

“I guess I look at Lina Khan as one of the few people in the Biden administration that I think is doing a pretty good job,” Vance noted earlier this year.