Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Backs Down?

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) acknowledged Sunday that some 2020-era democratic socialist rhetoric went too far, agreeing that "Woke 1.0 was crazy," attributing it to COVID-driven upheaval that widened the opportunity for sweeping policies.

Ocasio-Cortez stated she believes today's rhetoric on crime is "fundamentally different," and took the opportunity to distance herself from the national Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) platform, which still calls for abolishing police.

As reported by Newsweek:

Progressive Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has distanced herself from the "Woke 1” positions she supported during the pandemic years, such as defunding the police, saying that the "rhetoric" used then was not "the one we would use today."

The comments were made in the wake of the victory of Abdul El-Sayed, whom she has endorsed, over centrist Representative Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Senate primary during an interview with ABC This Week . . .

When asked about contentious past statements from progressive figures like Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate and democratic socialist Francesca Hong and whether the left wing of the party went too far after 2020, Ocasio-Cortez cited New York City Council Member Chi Ossé’s statement on "woke" policies of the time supported by progressives.

"I have a local city councilman that has this saying, ‘Woke 1 was crazy’," she said. "I think that during this time, especially during COVID, [...] the doors were really open in trying to entertain any and every policy that was going to get us to a better place," she added.

Ocasio-Cortez confirmed during the interview that she will not endorse Hong, a decision that falls in line with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the national branch of the Democratic Socialists of America.

It certainly appears like Ocasio-Cortez is preparing for a future run for president. And to lay the foundation, she’s trying to distance herself from the DSA and many of its candidates. But let’s not forget, Ocasio-Cortez was one of the original DSA–style candidates, but now she’s trying to go mainstream and is having to reframe some of her more extreme positions.

As she tried to explain away her more previous, radical statements on ABC:

I think that during this time, especially during COVID, there was a huge opening of the Overton window. We were shut down. There was some of the highest unemployment rates that we have seen because of those shutdowns. And I think that the doors were really open in trying to entertain any and every policy that was going to get us to a better place.

Britannica defines the Overton Window as a “political model describing the range of policies considered acceptable by the majority of a population at a particular time.” In other words, it was a moment in time to push the envelope politically  in a chaotic time.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more analysis of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s apparent side-step away from the extreme Left and what it might indicate for her future. We were also joined by U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions, Ric Grenell, to discuss Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed’s promise to raise taxes to pay for Medicare for all.

Watch the full broadcast below: