AOC blames 2020 lockdown ‘rhetoric’ for past ‘defund the police’ support
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) attributed her previous support for the “defund the police” movement to the heightened rhetoric during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in 2020. She noted that during that time, political debates expanded significantly, and discussions about policies were more open. She acknowledged that the discourse around crime and policing has shifted as then, emphasizing that current conversations are different from those of 2020, when criticism of police violence was at its peak. Ocasio-Cortez clarified she no longer supports defunding the police and has moved toward focusing on strengthening public safety and addressing root causes of crime. she also discussed her broader political plans, including the possibility of a 2028 presidential bid, and expressed respect for candidates running in recent elections. The article highlights the evolution of her stance and the political climate’s change over the past few years.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) suggested the “rhetoric” seen during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in 2020 was to blame for her past support of the “defund the police” movement.
“During this time and especially during COVID, there was a huge opening of the Overton window,” she said on ABC’s This Week on Sunday. “We were shut down. There were some of the highest unemployment rates that we have seen because of those shutdowns.”
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“The doors were really open in trying to entertain any and every policy that was going to get us to a better place,” she added, “and I actually think that the discussions that were had in that time were quite fruitful.”
Ocasio-Cortez went on to say that talking about crime today is “fundamentally different” than talking about crime in 2020 and the years leading up to it, when criticism of police brutality was at an all-time high following several high-profile police-involved shootings.
“Of course, rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today,” she said.
Before Ocasio-Cortez gave her response, ABC News host Jonathan Karl cited her prior support of defunding the police as an example of whether the Left went too far after 2020. The progressive lawmaker has since moved away from her anti-police stance.
Karl brought up the issue because Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, a socialist running in the state’s Democratic primary for governor on Tuesday, called for abolishing prisons and police on social media from 2020 to 2021. She has since changed her position, now saying her focus is on strengthening public safety and addressing the root causes of crime instead of defunding the police.
Notably, Ocasio-Cortez has not endorsed Hong for governor because her focus is on “winning back” Congress for the midterm elections. The House Democrat has endorsed multiple congressional candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America.
AOC SAYS SHE HASN’T ‘RULED OUT THE POSSIBILITY’ OF 2028 PRESIDENTIAL BID
“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,” she said.
During the interview, Ocasio-Cortez invoked a saying used by socialist New York City Councilman Chi Osse: “Woke 1 was crazy.” The phrase references past policy positions taken by left-wing politicians during the early months of the pandemic and at the height of Black Lives Matter.
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