Progressive star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her advisors are setting the groundwork for her to become president, according to a new report.
The 35-year-old Democratic representative from New York is set to be eligible to run for either the Senate or the presidency in 2028. According to a report from Axios on Friday, her advisors are strategizing to ensure she is well-prepared to pursue the office that best aligns with her ambitions.
Since entering the House of Representatives in 2019, the enthusiastic advocate for the Green New Deal, who is also a former bartender, has quickly climbed the ranks in political discussions.
Her massive social media following, progressive rhetoric and working-class roots puts her at odds with more traditional and older Democrats.
Her bold approach was evident on Friday, as she delivered a speech on the House floor, vehemently criticizing Charlie Kirk just nine days after his tragic murder in a public setting.
The lawmaker began by describing the assassination of Charlie Kirk as ‘a horrific and vile attack,’ and proceeded by stating, ‘We need to recognize who Charlie Kirk was… His rhetoric and philosophies were based on ignorance and aimed to marginalize countless Americans.’
Her comments drew immediate backlash from conservatives, indicating the heightened division her potential candidacy for the presidency could aggravate.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene took to X, stating, ‘AOC is currently criticizing Charlie Kirk on the House floor. She is spreading falsehoods about him and continuing with the same offensive rhetoric… Collaboration with such individuals seems impossible.’
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and her team are reportedly positioning the 35-year-old congresswoman for her to run for either the Senate or White House in 2028
AOC and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have traveled the country this year on their ‘Fight Oligarchy’ tour and drawn tens of thousands of supporters
New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (R) was endorsed by AOC this summer
The House passed a resolution to honor Kirk and his legacy on Friday. It received broad bipartisan support, passing 310 – 58, with Democratic leadership voting for it.
The progressive lawmaker, along with other ‘Squad’ members, Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., voted against the measure.
AOC has become adept at eloquently livestreaming her political musings on Instagram and engaging tens of thousands at sold-out arena rallies, the latter of which are eerily similar to President Donald Trump’s major MAGA events.
As her party searches for a winning message in the political desert after losing the White House to President Donald Trump, the appetite among Democrats for a new path is emerging.
The success of New York mayoral candidate and Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, whom AOC endorsed this summer, has shown early signs that the left is ready to veer towards more progressive and socialist lanes.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the longtime leader of his state and party, may be in for a contentious generational battle should AOC decide to challenge him in 2028, but that’s only if she doesn’t have bigger fish to fry.
AOC appears to be the heir apparent to the Democratic Party’s progressive arm, which appears to be growing.
This year, she has campaigned across the country with America’s foremost Democratic Socialist, Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on the pair’s ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ tour.
This year AOC has focused on bipartisan work to ban members of Congress from stock trading
The campaign-style events regularly brought in thousands of attendees at stops in Colorado, Arizona, California and Nevada. One April event in Los Angeles had 36,000 attendees.
The prediction site Kalshi currently has AOC as the second most likely candidate behind California Gov. Gavin Newsom to become the Democrats’ presidential nominee.
Some insiders are saying that she may even run against Newsom to give the progressive wing of the party a voice in the 2028 presidential primaries, Axios reports.
Her grassroots support is massive in comparison to many other political operations – as evidenced by her staggeringly large social media following, which, if you combine most major platforms like Instagram, TikTok, X and Bluesky and Facebook, is close to 37 million.
The progressive has also focused on state-level politics and held events around New York far from her congressional district in the Bronx.
At an event in Plattsburgh, N.Y., over the summer, she stated ‘We are here because every town, every city, every neighborhood in this state matters. Every corner matters. No one deserves to be ignored.’
AOC has also become a special target for Trump on social media, where he will make digs at the lawmaker’s intellect and policy ideas.
‘Stupid AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the “dumbest” people in Congress, is now calling for my Impeachment, despite the fact that the Crooked and Corrupt Democrats have already done that twice before,’ Trump posted on social media over the summer.
The progressive has leaned into online skirmishes with the president, which has only served to elevate her further on the national stage.
‘Mr. President, don’t take your anger out on me – I’m just a silly girl,’ the Democrat responded at the time.
Still, despite her efforts to appeal to a wider audience, AOC has a bad track record with conservatives over her support for universal healthcare, the Green New Deal and other progressive agenda items.
