{"id":2644436,"date":"2026-08-13T14:03:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T18:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aoc-and-mamdani-evolution-is-a-political-con-joe-concha\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T14:05:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T18:05:54","slug":"aoc-and-mamdani-evolution-is-a-political-con-joe-concha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aoc-and-mamdani-evolution-is-a-political-con-joe-concha\/","title":{"rendered":"AOC and Mamdani evolution is a political con: Joe Concha"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Faoc-and-mamdani-evolution-is-a-political-con-joe-concha%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2644436&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Joe Concha, a Washington Examiner columnist, criticized Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and zohran mamdani for trying to distance themselves from their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aoc-2028-and-the-coming-of-woke-2-2\/\" title=\"..., 2028, and the coming of &#039;Woke 2&#039;\">previous progressive positions<\/a> to appeal to a broader electorate. Concha argues that their efforts to appear more moderate involve denying past statements and shifting their stances, such as Mamdani\u2019s change from endorsing police defunding to supporting police cooperation, and AOC\u2019s support for reallocating police funds to social programs.Concha condemns this as political opportunism and emphasizes the importance of holding politicians accountable by recalling their past comments, rather than accepting their post-hoc rebranding.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Washington Examiner<\/em> columnist <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/joe-concha\/\">Joe Concha<\/a><strong> <\/strong>accused<strong> <\/strong>Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/alexandria-ocasio-cortez\/\">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez<\/a> (D-NY) and New York Mayor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/zohran-mamdani\/\">Zohran Mamdani<\/a> of attempting to distance themselves from past positions as they seek to appeal to a broader electorate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Concha weighed in on Ocasio-Cortez\u2019s and Mamdani\u2019s efforts to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4685646\/mamdani-aoc-woke-1-2020-defund-the-police\/\">distance themselves<\/a> from left-wing positions that previously trended among progressives, suggesting their efforts are a way to now appear more moderate. <\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4686351\/aoc-mamdani-evolution-political-con-joe-concha\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>AOC\u2019s and Mamdani\u2019s evolution is a political con: Joe Concha<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4686293\/sean-duffy-backlash-high-gas-prices-trump-biden\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Sean Duffy faces backlash for comparing high gas prices under Trump to Biden<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4686000\/social-security-cost-of-living-adjustment-2027-inflation\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>COLA increase estimated to be 3.2% in 2027 after summer inflation reports<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is beyond insulting what AOC, and now Mamdani, are attempting to do by simply pretending they didn\u2019t say and write the things that they\u2019ve said in the past, and they\u2019ve evolved on their positions in a few short years,\u201d Concha said Thursday on Fox News\u2019s <em>Fox and Friends First<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mamdani, who has since become more measured in his rhetoric on policing, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ZohranKMamdani\/status\/1277414510131916801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1277414510131916801%7Ctwgr%5E580fa3bf745d92a0e9fd1b9af0c808551e04bf8a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&#038;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fentertainment%2F4537049%2Fnew-york-city-crime-part-promises-broken-mamdani-joe-concha%2F\">previously called<\/a> for defunding the New York Police Department, saying that the movement was a \u201cfeminist issue,\u201d in a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ZohranKMamdani\/status\/1269992761215811590\">2020 post on X<\/a>. He later said during his mayoral campaign that he would not defund the police and instead would <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4468924\/mamdani-anti-police-rhetoric-blamed-nypd-officers-pelted-snowballs\/\">work with<\/a> them. <\/p>\n<div style=\"display: inline-block; width: 100%; max-width: 640px; min-height: 180px; max-height: 360px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/share.grabien.com\/share?id=3677010&#038;userid=11311&#038;usertype=user&#038;loginid=9421&#038;playercolor=%23000000&#038;playersize=auto&#038;code=caea8dc354e375c89d0836bb2ea5f9d2\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0px;\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ocasio-Cortez is also facing criticism over her support for the defund-the-police movement. In 2020, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2613837\/aoc-defund-the-police-means-redistribute-funds-to-social-programs-that-prevent-crime-and-social-discord-in-the-first-place\/\">she argued<\/a> that resources should be redirected from police departments toward social programs intended to prevent crime and social disorder. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey know what they\u2019ve said in the past: defunding the police, reimagining prisons, spending trillions upon trillions fighting climate change. Remember, it was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1608303\/out-of-context-aoc-backtracks-on-claim-climate-change-will-end-world-in-12-years\/\">AOC back in 2019<\/a> that said the world would cease to exist by 2031, which I last checked is five years away, so I guess get that bucket list ready,\u201d Concha said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4685646\/mamdani-aoc-woke-1-2020-defund-the-police\/\"><strong>MAMDANI STANDS BY AOC ON \u2018WOKE 1\u2019 BACKPEDALING: \u2018WHAT YOU BELIEVE CAN CHANGE\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Concha said voters and the media should not <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >overlook politicians\u2019 previous statements simply<\/a> because their positions have evolved.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe need to have a media to hold them accountable, play back their clips and their words, and not just let them say, \u2018Oops, we didn\u2019t mean it. Let\u2019s move on because we got elections to win,\u2019\u201d Concha said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Concha says AOC, Mamdani shift from past leftist stances<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4275,"featured_media":2644437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-collage-1zlkz9gaa-1786636007758-e1786636111354.jpg?1786621699&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[8334,52093,56552,36186,43441],"class_list":["post-2644436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-aoc","tag-joe-concha","tag-mamdani","tag-political-critique","tag-political-evolution"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-collage-1zlkz9gaa-1786636007758-e1786636111354.jpg?1786621699&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2644436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4275"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2644436"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2644436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2644441,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2644436\/revisions\/2644441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2644437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2644436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2644436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2644436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}