Progressive darling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says President Biden is risking the “collapse” of his support among progressive and younger party voters, in a new interview.
The second-term New York congresswoman, who represents Queens and The Bronx in Washington, made the remarks during an interview with New York 1 host Errol Louis in which she discussed Biden’s political struggles as potentially power shifting midterm elections near.
“We need to acknowledge that this isn’t just about middle of the road, increasingly narrow band of independent voters,” the self-described Democratic socialist told Louis.
“But, this is really about the collapse of support among young people, among Democratic base, feeling like they worked overtime to get this president elected and they aren’t necessarily being seen.”
She made the statement as part of a longer exchange about Biden’s low polling numbers and how she believes Democrats might be able to avert a walloping in November’s congressional elections, which the party that controls the White House typically endures.
“It is Biden’s power and ability to cancel student debt, and nobody else’s,” she told Louis, referencing a promise made by Biden on the campaign trail to axe $10,000 off every college student’s debt, a progressive talking point that the White House has yet to fulfill.
Progressives, like Ocasio-Cortez and her fellow congressional “Squad” members, insist Biden has the authority to wipe away that amount — and potentially much more — via executive action, eliminating any chance that more conservative Democrats or Republicans could hold it up in Congress.
“With his falling approval numbers, one would think they might be open to trying something, other than cruising down the path to a tough reelection. Do you get the sense whether or not they’re open to that?” asked Louis.
Ocasio-Cortez answered that Biden is still mulling it over, but warned, that “time for the administration is running out.”
She added: “And we do not have much more time to wait because these falling poll numbers, I don’t believe in governing by polling.”
By Nolan Hicks
