AOC Wants Biden to Do More in Campaign Than Just Attack Trump

Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) suggested that President Biden should focus more on promoting his vision and policy agenda to persuade voters to re-elect him, rather than solely criticizing former President Trump.

During an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" with host Kristen Welker, Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the need for Biden to be more assertive in advocating for initiatives such as free health care and college education.

AOC says Biden can ‘do more’ to win over voters than just criticize Trump https://t.co/z4KZj6xPlg pic.twitter.com/Ax3KPLpUu4

— New York Post (@nypost) January 28, 2024

When asked by Welker about Biden's effectiveness in conveying to voters why they should support him, Ocasio-Cortez offered a strong response.

The congresswoman replied, “You have said in the past that it’s not enough for Democrats to just talk about what they are running against,” Welker began. “Do you think, in this very moment, President Biden is doing a good enough job explaining to voters why they should vote for him and not just against former President Trump?”

She added, "I think we can certainly do more to be advancing our vision. I believe we have a strong vision that we can run on."

While acknowledging Biden's commitment to codify abortion protections if Democrats control the House, Senate, and presidency, she asserted that there is room for improvement, particularly in addressing healthcare and education issues.

Expressing her progressive stance, Ocasio-Cortez stated, "I want to see the age of Medicare drop, whether it’s to 50 as the president has discussed earlier or to zero, as is my preference."

She advocated for increased discussions on making public colleges and universities tuition-free or more affordable.

Despite her call for a more proactive approach, Ocasio-Cortez affirmed that Biden is the strongest candidate among Democrats to face Trump, with the caveat that he is the strongest within the current Democratic field.

As of now, the field includes self-help author Marianne Williamson and Representative Dean Phillips (D-MN), who initiated his campaign in protest against the absence of a serious Democratic primary.

Ocasio-Cortez has previously criticized Biden, accusing him of a "lurch to the right" in April of the previous year, and had refrained from endorsing him before he officially announced his re-election campaign.