Business · Axios
AOC wrestles with exited-wing Dems as 2028 decision looms
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 outlet. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is hustling to win over left-wing critics who say the progressive leader cares too much about mainstream approval and is too cozy with senior Democrats.
Key facts
- Ocasio-Cortez's former communications director Corbin Trent, another founder of Justice Democrats, is working on a book that's due out before the 2028 primary
- If Ocasio-Cortez's diplomacy is successful, it could be more difficult for any potential 2028 presidential candidate to run to her left — but moderate Democrats argue it also could make it tougher
- In recent weeks, Ocasio-Cortez has tried to repair her relationship with Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)
- The intrigue: AOC also has had a fraught relationship with some progressives who helped launch her political career
Summary
Ocasio-Cortez — who's weighing a White House run — recently took a harder line against funding for Israel, part of a push to appease those on the left who once saw her as Bernie Sanders 2.0 but now think she's more pragmatist than revolutionary. For Ocasio-Cortez, the campaign isn't strategic — it's personal. In private, Ocasio-Cortez has fumed about the criticism, believing it's unfair and counterproductive for the progressive movement. One liberal strategist told Axios that AOC has "lamented that the left was not there for her, that they are never pleased.