Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has emerged as a strong ally to President Joe Biden as he faces pressure from some Democrats to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. She took to Instagram Live to speak out against calls for Biden to step down, warning of potential chaos if he were to exit the race so close to the Democratic convention. Ocasio-Cortez emphasized that she respects voters who want a change but believes removing Biden could lead to peril for Democrats. While many Democrats have called for Biden to withdraw, few have publicly advocated for him to stay in the race.
Ocasio-Cortez, along with other progressives, have persuaded Biden to embrace several of their priorities in a potential second term, including expanding Social Security and capping rent increases. The progressives backing Biden are driven by policy goals and fear the consequences of a Trump presidency if the ticket changes. While some Democrats, like Rep. Mark Pocan, have called for Biden to step aside due to concerns about his age and performance, Ocasio-Cortez believes that the push to remove Biden is being driven by wealthy donors and elites within the party.
The Congresswoman urged caution about replacing Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris, stating that there is not consensus among those calling for Biden to leave that they would support her as the nominee. Ocasio-Cortez believes that Biden’s electoral strengths among older voters could be lost with another candidate. Biden has repeatedly stated that he will not drop out of the race, and supporters like Lisa Lint-Vander Zouwen, while reluctant, believe that any decision to replace him should involve a competitive process within the Democratic party.
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