Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) recently appeared on a national Sunday news program where she addressed past contentious remarks made by herself and other figures within the socialist movement. She light-heartedly characterized this earlier period as "Woke 1" and described it as "crazy."
During the interview, host Jon Karl presented an example, referencing Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong's previous controversial statements, such as advocating for the abolition of prisons or the cancellation of Thanksgiving. Hong has reportedly sought to moderate some of these earlier stances as she campaigns for the Democratic nomination.
Ocasio-Cortez responded by quoting a local city councilman, stating, "I have a local city councilman that has this saying, 'Woke 1 was crazy.' I think that what’s important is that we have to assess what a candidate is saying now."
Examining Earlier Political Discourse
Karl then questioned whether the socialist movement had gone "too far" at any point, specifically recalling Ocasio-Cortez's own previous support for the "defund the police" movement. The congresswoman explained that many of these statements emerged during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, a time when there was a heightened openness to considering significant societal changes.
She elaborated, "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. And I actually think that the discussions that were had in that time were quite fruitful." She further distinguished contemporary discussions on crime, noting, "I think that when we talk about crime today, it’s fundamentally different than the way that we talked about crime in bringing crime down, right?"
Ocasio-Cortez emphasized a shared objective: "I think that we all share the goals of having as low a crime rate as possible." She acknowledged the difference in rhetoric, stating, "I think that during lockdown, of course, rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today. And I’m grateful that these candidates have the opportunity to present who they are to their electorate, and what they’re campaigning on in this moment."
Distinctions within the Democratic Socialists of America
The interviewer, Karl, also highlighted that the national platform of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), an organization linked to numerous emerging Democratic politicians including Ocasio-Cortez, still includes the abolition of police as one of its official positions. Ocasio-Cortez clarified her affiliation, stating she is presently a member of the New York City chapter of the DSA, rather than the national body, and does not endorse all of the national organization's stances.
While Ocasio-Cortez has received endorsements from the DSA throughout her political career, her recent actions have reportedly led to internal divisions within the organization.
In 2024, the group retracted its endorsement for Ocasio-Cortez's re-election campaign. This decision stemmed from her alleged failure to meet specific conditions, which included opposing all funding for Israel and publicly advocating for boycotts and sanctions against the nation.
More recently, the DSA reportedly faced internal disagreement regarding whether to offer an early endorsement for Ocasio-Cortez's potential 2028 presidential campaign, according to reports.
