AOC distances herself from DSA's national platform in rare ideological shift

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez distanced herself from several positions held by the national Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) during an interview on ABC's This Week, while acknowledging that the progressive rhetoric used during the Covid era is "not rhetoric that we would use today."

The New York Democrat also said she does not support several policies included in the national DSA platform, clarified that she belongs only to the organization's New York City chapter and argued that candidates should be judged by the positions they hold today rather than past rhetoric.

AOC softens Covid-era rhetoric

Asked whether the progressive movement had gone too far with some of its earlier positions, Ocasio-Cortez said the Covid era created an environment where broader policy debates took hold before acknowledging that the rhetoric had changed. 

"I think that, during lockdown, of course, rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today," she said.

She added that discussions during Covid were "quite fruitful" but said candidates should be judged by the positions they hold today, pointing to Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong as someone who had "moved away" from earlier rhetoric.

Breaks from national DSA platform

Karl also pressed Ocasio-Cortez about the Democratic Socialists of America's recently adopted national platform, which includes proposals such as abolishing police and prisons, eliminating the Senate, closing overseas military bases and granting amnesty to immigrants living in the United States. 

Ocasio-Cortez clarified that she belongs only to the New York City chapter of the organization, not the national body.

When asked directly whether she supports those national platform positions, she replied, "No, but I think that this is a free country."

She said people were free to organize around those ideas but that her responsibility as an elected official was to focus on healthcare and lowering costs for Americans.

AOC shifts focus toward electability

Throughout the interview, Ocasio-Cortez repeatedly steered the conversation away from ideological debates and toward economic concerns, saying voters were more interested in affordability than internal political labels.

She also defended engaging with a broad range of media platforms, including Fox News and podcasts, arguing Democrats have a responsibility to reach younger voters wherever they consume political content.

Ocasio-Cortez also said her focus remains on helping Democrats win back the House, arguing that voters care more about lowering healthcare and living costs than ideological labels or internal party debates.