Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) reacted with hostility when asked about the New York Democrat running against Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in 2028.
During a joint town hall with Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez with CNN, host Kaitlan Collins asked about a hot topic for the past several months — whether the New York congresswoman would mount a primary challenge to the aging Schumer. The question was met with outright hostility by Ocasio-Cortez and Schumer, who accused the host of distracting from other issues.
“I mean, no!” Ocasio-Cortez said, exasperated and waving her hands.
“I don’t think this is about…” she added, trailing off, and joined by Sanders.
“This is what we’re talking about!” Ocasio-Cortez yelled with a nervous laugh. “This is what we’re talking about!”
Sanders echoed the remark, then launched into a tirade about CNN and the media’s coverage.
“You have a country that is falling apart!” he yelled. “We have a housing crisis, a healthcare crisis, an education crisis, massive income and wealth inequality, a corrupt campaign finance system, and the media says, ‘Are you gonna run? What’re you gonna run for?’ Nobody cares!”
“Nobody cares!” Ocasio-Cortez echoed, continuing her nervous laughter.
Collins countered that there was obviously interest if it was something discussed by the president, vice president, and speaker of the House. Sanders said the trio was only talking about it to distract from “the real issues.”
“And let me tell you what the real issue is, let’s see if CNN talks about it,” the Vermont senator began, going on to outline his problems with the United States, including a lack of guaranteed healthcare, paid family leave, medical leave, the minimum wage, homelessness, Trump’s treatment of climate change, and the presence of “oligarchs on top who have more and more power every day.”
“Let’s talk about that issue, not her own political future. She’ll decide that,” he concluded.
Ocasio-Cortez has remained a favorite of the progressive Democratic cause, with her perceived stock rising as Democratic leaders struggle to counter the rising prominence of partisans to their left. Rumors have grown increasingly prominent in Democratic and Republican circles that the representative could mount a primary challenge to Schumer in 2028.
AOC STAYED AT SWANKY HOTELS AMID CROSS-COUNTRY ‘FIGHTING OLIGARCHY’ CAMPAIGN
Elsewhere in the town hall, Ocasio-Cortez continued positioning herself as a progressive Democratic leader in future elections by using inflammatory rhetoric against Republicans, claiming Republicans believe women are “inferior” and “don’t deserve equal rights,” that LGBT people are “subhuman,” and uses “white supremacist” messaging to “radicalize a generation of young boys in particular, away from healthy masculinity and into an insecure masculinity that requires the domination of others who are poorer, browner, darker, or a different gender than them.”
Despite this, she said that she will not “question your motive” or “allegiance to this country” if you disagree with her as a Republican, and that Republicans are stoking division.
