Ocasio-Cortez Slams Fellow Dems For Being Too ‘Reflexively Anti-Republican’
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic congresswoman from New York, raised eyebrows with an uncharacteristic statement about working with congressional Republicans.
AOC joined a growing chorus of Democrats expressing openness to collaborating with President-elect Donald Trump during his second term. Known as a progressive voice in Congress, Ocasio-Cortez shared with Punchbowl News on Wednesday that she would back Trump’s policies if they align with her principles.
“The reason why I think oftentimes Democrats occasionally lose elections is because we’re too reflexively anti-Republican, and that we don’t lean into an ambitious vision for working-class Americans strongly enough,” she explained to the outlet.
In recent elections, Democrats have prioritized reshaping American culture by focusing on issues like gender equality, diversity, and climate change, while often neglecting “kitchen table issues” such as rising food costs, gas prices, and housing affordability.
Punchbowl News reported a shift among some Democrats, who are distancing themselves from the resistance tactics that defined Trump’s first term. Instead, they are seeking areas of agreement with the incoming president, such as enhancing border security, addressing government inefficiencies, and pursuing economic reforms.
Florida Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz emphasized the need for a pragmatic approach, stating, “I don’t think the American people want extremism, but they do want changes at the border.” He acknowledged that the Democratic Party has been out of touch with voters on pivotal issues like immigration. “On some of these issues, we were to the left of the American people,” he admitted.
Support for the Laken Riley Act, an immigration reform bill passed by the House on Tuesday, highlights this shift. According to Punchbowl News, 48 Democrats voted in favor of the bill, up by 11 votes compared to the previous Congress. However, nearly 160 Democrats opposed the measure, including Ocasio-Cortez and her fellow progressive “Squad” members.
Ohio Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman, who backed the bill, underscored its importance, saying, “We should pursue every opportunity around border security and immigration reform. That’s number one, and number two is getting costs down.”
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged his Democratic colleagues to adopt a combative approach during confirmation hearings for Trump’s Cabinet nominees.
“Republicans spent four years attacking the Democratic brand, and we need to use the hearings to begin returning the favor,” Schumer reportedly told senior committee Democrats during a meeting Wednesday, as reported by Axios.
At a caucus lunch on Tuesday, Schumer advised Democrats to scrutinize Trump’s nominees, focusing on how the president-elect’s agenda could impact the American people. He framed this as an opportunity to reclaim the narrative on issues like the economy, immigration, and cultural debates—topics largely sidelined during the Biden-Harris administration.
Schumer argued that opposing Trump’s policies offers greater political leverage than seeking consensus, a stance seemingly at odds with Trump’s decisive electoral victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, which included a majority of the popular vote.
The Democratic Party has raised concerns over several of Trump’s Cabinet picks, including Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, Kash Patel for FBI director, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health and human services.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Newsmax on Friday that he has little hope for bipartisan support during the confirmation process. “I wish we were going to get some, but I doubt it,” Johnson said. “I’ll be satisfied if they don’t obstruct our process of moving forward and confirming those people.”