Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Discusses Socialist Movement’s Past Comments on ‘This Week’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., addressed past comments made by herself and other socialist politicians during an appearance on ABC’s ‘This Week’ on Sunday. She humorously referred to the ‘Woke 1’ era as ‘crazy.’

Host Jon Karl inquired about comments made by Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, who had called for the cancellation of Thanksgiving and the abolition of prisons. Hong has since attempted to distance herself from some of these views.

“I have a local city councilman that has this saying, ‘Woke 1 was crazy,’” Ocasio-Cortez said laughing, adding, “And I think that what’s important is that we have to assess what a candidate is saying now.”

Karl asked if there was a moment when the socialist movement went “too far,” noting that Ocasio-Cortez had advocated for defunding the police. She clarified that many of these statements occurred during the COVID-19 lockdowns when a broad spectrum of policies was considered.

She emphasized the open discussion of various policies at the time, which she viewed as productive:

“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.”

Ocasio-Cortez noted changes in the conversation about crime:

“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? And I think that we all share the goals of having as low a crime rate as possible.”

Karl mentioned the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) stance on abolishing the police. Although Ocasio-Cortez is part of the New York City chapter of the DSA, she clarified that she does not support all national-level positions.

Although previously endorsed by the DSA throughout her career, Ocasio-Cortez experienced infighting with the organization. In 2024, they withdrew their endorsement for her re-election due to unmet conditions, like opposing all funding to Israel.

The DSA has debated early endorsement for Ocasio-Cortez in the 2028 presidential race. A spokesperson suggested that her presidency could enhance the movement’s influence within the executive branch.

This report includes contributions by Fox News’ Peter Pinedo. For more insights, contact Lindsay Kornick at [email protected] or follow on Twitter: @lmkornick.