Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders defended freshman New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday after she received criticism from 2020 front-runner Joe Biden.
In an interview that aired early Friday morning, Biden praised Ocasio-Cortez as “a brilliant, bright woman,” but argued that her socialist tilt would not do as well in general elections.
“In the general election fights, who won? Mainstream Democrats who are very progressive on social issues and very strong on education and healthcare,” he said. “That’s what this election is about. I’m happy to debate that issue and all those issues with my friends because guess what, look who won the races. Look who won last time out.”
“It’s center-left, that’s where I am. Where it’s not is way-left,” Biden added.
I’m proud to be working with @AOC and so many other Democrats to pass Medicare for All, debt free college and a Green New Deal. This is the agenda America needs — and that will energize voters to defeat Donald Trump. https://t.co/MPS9fDsuCH
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 5, 2019
Sanders responded to a tweet from CNN about Biden’s remarks, saying, “I’m proud to be working with [Ocasio-Cortez] and so many other Democrats to pass Medicare for All, debt-free college and a Green New Deal. This is the agenda America needs — and that will energize voters to defeat Donald Trump.”
The former vice president rejects Sanders’ proposal for a single-payer healthcare system that would eliminate private health insurance.
In an interview with Vogue last month, Ocasio-Cortez argued that giving Biden the party’s nomination would lead to lower voter “turnout,” calling him “not a pragmatic choice.”
