What does ‘Woke 1’ mean, and where does the term come from? What to know
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced a new term, “Woke 1,” to describe the current wave of socialism within the Democratic Party, contrasting it with the more cultural “woke” movement of 2020. During an interview on ABC’s This Week, she discussed how the social and political climate during COVID-19-characterized by protests, lockdowns, and social upheaval-expanded the range of acceptable ideas (the Overton window), leading to more radical policies and rhetoric. Ocasio-Cortez noted that many candidates associated with this era are now moderating thier views, frequently enough backtracking on previous radical statements. She referenced New York City Council Member Chi Osse, who coined “Woke 1” in 2026 to criticize the extremity of certain identity-based politics during the pandemic’s peak. The term came from osse’s remark that “Woke 1 was crazy” in response to past beliefs like abolishing prisons or supporting defunding police, which have since been softened or denied by some candidates. Ocasio-Cortez also highlighted the ideological struggles within the Democratic Party, with some fearing that socialist and culture-war stances could harm electoral prospects in November. She acknowledged that rhetoric during the COVID-19 lockdown was more radical than what is currently being expressed and expressed hope that candidates now have the prospect to present their true positions.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) debuted a new phrase on Sunday meant to distinguish the current rise of socialism in the Democratic Party from the “woke” cultural peak of 2020 that featured ubiquitous calls from Democrats to defund the police during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While speaking with Jonathan Karl on ABC’s This Week, the prominent socialist and potential 2028 presidential candidate was asked about Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong’s prior support for abolishing prisons and canceling Thanksgiving.
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“My understanding is that Francesca Hong has made clear her present stances to her electorate,” she said before confirming to Karl that Hong has “moved away from” these positions. “And I have a local city councilman who has this saying, ‘Woke 1 was crazy,’ and I think that what’s important is that we have to assess what a candidate is saying now.”
Ocasio-Cortez was referring to New York City Council Member Chi Osse, who represents parts of the Bedford-Stuyvesant and North Crown Heights neighborhoods in Brooklyn.
Osse coined the phrase “Woke 1” in a May 2026 X post in which he responded to a user asking him about a comment he made in 2021 in which he said, “A cis white man should not be the next speaker of the Council.”
“Woke 1 was crazyyy,” Osse said in response, presumably claiming such identity-based prejudice was a product of the intensely liberal political climate that emerged in the spring and summer of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests. The era’s racial strife unfolded alongside calls from Democrats for vaccine and mask mandates and sweeping shutdowns that disrupted local commerce and prolonged the closure of in-person classrooms.
Socialist candidates running for office in 2026, such as Hong and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul el Sayed, have recently attempted to backtrack on or qualify more radical comments they made during this “Woke 1” era. Hong said this week she no longer believes police exist to uphold white supremacy, while el Sayed has similarly denied he supported defunding the police despite interview appearances and since-deleted social media posts from the time period that suggest he did.
Ocasio-Cortez seems to agree with Osse’s assessment that the COVID-19 era was particularly rife with fringe political ideas that fell far outside the mainstream but were elevated by the time period’s unprecedented social and cultural climate.
“I think that during this time, especially during COVID, there was a huge opening of the Overton window,” she said, referring to the range of political ideas a society deems permissible at a given time. “We were shut down, there was some of the highest unemployment rates that we have seen because of these shutdowns. And 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.”
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Ocasio-Cortez’s usage of the phrase comes at a particular moment for the Democratic Party, as recent primary elections throughout the country have pitted socialist, typically younger candidates against more established incumbents. The result has been a struggle over the ideological direction of the party, as some Democratic strategists fear the socialists’ anti-Israel views and broader culture-war agenda will harm the party in November. Controversy has also surrounded viral internet personality Hasan Piker, who is infamous for saying America deserved the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and has streamed with Ocasio-Cortez, el Sayed, and Hong.
“I think that, you know, during lockdown, of course, rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric we would use today,” Ocasio-Cortez also said. “And I’m glad that these candidates have the opportunity to present who they are to their electorate and what they’re campaigning on in this moment.”
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