Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Says Many Who Want Biden To Drop Out Aren’t Interested In Harris

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Friday said she has not seen a “bulletproof” case to support the notion that Joe Biden should drop out of the 2024 presidential race, warning that many of those calling on him to end his reelection bid are not interested in having Vice President Kamala Harris replace him on the ticket.

The 81-year-old president’s poor performance at a CNN debate in late June fueled concerns about his age and fitness to serve, with a growing number of Democrats now calling on him to step aside and support an alternative candidate.

Speaking on Instagram after the conclusion of Donald Trump’s speech accepting the GOP presidential nomination in Milwaukee, Ocasio-Cortez said she is not convinced that Biden should leave the race.

“I have not seen the the fully laid-out, bulletproof data case,” she said.

Ocasio-Cortez noted that there is so far no consensus on an alternative to Biden, adding that many people who have called for his exit are not looking to Harris to take over.

“A huge amount of the donor class, and a huge amount of these elites, and a huge amount of these folks in these rooms that I see that are pushing for President Biden to not be the nominee also are not interested in seeing the vice president being the nominee,” she said.

The New York Democrat added that several legal issues could arise if Biden steps down. She said it is imperative for people to consider the stakes of the upcoming election, with ballot deadlines looming and potential GOP legal challenges that could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority.

“I have not seen a scenario, an alternative scenario, that I feel does not set us up for enormous peril,” she said.

The representative blasted members of her party who are reportedly resigned to the prospect of a defeat in November, saying her constituents would be some of those most affected if Trump retakes the White House following his 2017-2021 presidential term.

“I don’t care what name is on there — we are not losing,” Ocasio-Cortez said of the Democratic ticket.

“I don’t know about you, but my community does not have the option to lose. My community does not have the luxury of accepting loss in July of an election year. Like, my people are the first ones deported. They’re the first ones put in Rikers [Island’s jail complex in New York]. They’re the first ones whose families are killed by war.”

Ocasio-Cortez said Biden is often underestimated politically, adding that he became president “through a lot of people underestimating his performance with demographics that are not traditionally valued.”

“I think that people see where he’s weak; they don’t often see where he’s strong,” she said.

Biden, who is currently being treated for COVID-19 at his Delaware home, has reportedly shown signs in private that is more open to the prospect of leaving the race, despite appearing defiant in his recent public appearances.