Ocasio-Cortez says ‘We need new leadership in Democratic party’

The popular New York congresswoman is no longer mincing words about her desire for fresh faces atop party ranks.

Dec 17, 2020

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is no longer mincing words about her party.

“I do think that we need new leadership in the Democratic Party,” the popular New York congresswoman said on the Intercepted with Jeremy Scahill podcast.

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez questions Postmaster General Louis DeJoy during August’s hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images)

She noted that there are limited options for younger Democrats to rise within party ranks.

“The question is — this year, for example — the hesitancy that I have is that I want to make sure that if we’re pointing people in a direction [to lead], that we have a plan,” she told Scahill.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed to a term limit agreement two years ago, and this will be her last term,

Ocasio-Cortez said she does not want to be the next speaker, claiming that she isn’t ready and “couldn’t do that job.” However, she does want her party to think ahead and find out who could.

“The Speaker has indicated that she may be looking at transitioning and leaving at some point, and the left isn’t really making a plan for that either,” she said. “So, I do think that it’s something that we really need to think about.”

She expressed that new leadership must be groomed to avoid creating a “vacuum” at the top.

“If you create that vacuum, there are so many nefarious forces at play,” she said, “to fill that vacuum with something even worse.”

The need for new blood in the party isn’t just confined to the House and Senate, Ocasio-Cortez argued.

“We now have a Biden administration that’s bringing back a lot of Obama appointees, which, depending on where you are in the party, may sound nice, I guess,” she continued. “But when Obama was making appointments, he was bringing back a lot of Clinton appointees.”

Ocasio-Cortez has noted that President-elect Joe Biden‘s cabinet picks are what’s indicative of the need for change within the Democratic Party.

The Intercepted podcast episode debuted Wednesday.

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