Add Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to the list of Democrats weighing their options ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
Citing sources familiar with her operation, Axios reported the progressive “Squad” member is currently deciding between a run for U.S. Senate – a move that would require primarying Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) – and a run for the White House. Both would occur in the 2028 election cycle.
On Friday’s show, Megyn was joined by Steve Bannon, host of Bannon’s WarRoom, to discuss the report and why he would love to see AOC at the top of the ticket.
President AOC?
Ocasio-Cortez is currently serving her fourth term in Congress after her shocking primary upset over former Rep. Joseph Crowley, then-chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, in 2018. The millennial congresswoman quickly made a name for herself as a progressive darling.
She has been making an obvious push to raise her national profile this year, joining Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour and, according to Axios, spending millions on “social media and on acquiring lists of potential supporters and donors to expand her grassroots fundraising potential.”
Axios reported that close allies believe AOC sees value in running for president even if she doesn’t think she can win because it would “ensure that the Democratic Party’s progressive wing is represented in the primary — just as Sanders did in 2016 against Hillary Clinton.”
AOC Slams Kirk
Megyn noted that the New York Dem was one of the 58 in her party who voted ‘no’ on a ceremonial measure introduced by House Republicans to honor Charlie Kirk. Democratic leadership and nearly 100 rank-and-file Democrats joined the GOP to adopt the measure on a 310-58 vote.
The “Honoring the life and legacy of Charles ‘Charlie’ James Kirk” resolution condemned Kirk’s murder and praised him as a “courageous American patriot” who “boldly lived out his faith with conviction, courage, and compassion.” It called on all Americans, regardless of race, party affiliation, or creed, to reject political violence, recommit to respectful debate, uphold American values, and respect one another as fellow Americans.”
‘No’ votes included Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), but it was Ocasio-Cortez who articulated exactly why she was against the measure. “His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant, uneducated, and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans, far from the ‘working tirelessly to promote unity’ asserted by the majority in this resolution,” she said, in part.
She also claimed the resolution “brings great pain to the millions of Americans who endured segregation, Jim Crow, and the legacy of bigotry today.”
Wargaming 2028
When Megyn asked Bannon if AOC would face any consequences politically for her vote and remarks, he quipped that it will actually probably give her “a leg up” on California Gov. Gavin Newsom in the Democratic primary.
He said he “would love” to see her run for president because it provides such a stark contrast. “What you see is what you get. If that’s what you think can lead this country, if that is where your values are, if that is what you think will continue to promote American freedom and liberty and ourselves as the greatest industrial power in the world… This shows you how frivolous they are,” Bannon noted. “This shows you how they’re not serious people.”
As Bannon explained, the left is used to controlling “the media” and “the apparatus” and they see that power being taken away. “That’s where the hate is coming from because, in the old days, you could jam a Barack Obama out of nowhere down your throat and you just had to accept it,” he noted. “If they think they can jam AOC down, then bring it… You look right now at the shift of demographics in this country and the shift inside the states, we cannot be beaten.”
While he admitted Ocasio-Cortez is a “very crafty and cunning politician,” he believes her platform is disqualifying. “You see what she stands for and who she is,” he concluded. “So, if they want to, please don’t waste a Senate run. Throw her up there and let her run for president. We love it… Give us your best shot.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Bannon by tuning in to episode 1,153 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.