The woman who essentially launched the modern democratic socialist movement in American politics is now being criticized by her own ideological allies for not being radical enough. Let that sink in.
As USA Journal reported, the Democratic Socialists of America and prominent left-wing voices are openly going after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, accusing her of playing it too safe and betraying the cause. Her crime? Supporting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and declining to back primary challengers against incumbent Democrats.
For those keeping score, AOC rocketed onto the national stage in 2018 by unseating longtime Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley in a stunning primary upset. Her victory kicked off a wave of progressive wins that brought Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and others into Congress, forming the notorious Squad. She was the founding figure of a movement that wanted to yank the Democratic Party hard to the left.
Apparently, she didn't yank hard enough.
Cenk Uygur, founder of the left-wing outlet The Young Turks, took to X to voice his frustration. He pointed out that AOC has not endorsed a single challenger to an incumbent Democrat in the last two election cycles and is enthusiastically backing Jeffries for Speaker should Democrats retake the House. "This is the exact opposite of what we were hoping for," Uygur wrote.
His nephew, Hasan Piker, an increasingly influential voice on the socialist left, piled on over the weekend. Piker expressed disappointment in AOC's cautious legislative approach, saying she plays it "maybe too safe" for the political moment. He also compared her unfavorably to New York's Zohran Mamdani, suggesting that at least with Mamdani there has been an "immediate return on investment" for the socialist movement.
Piker went further, attacking Jeffries as someone he described as "one of the biggest Israel stooges in Congress right now," framing AOC's support for the Minority Leader as a particularly unforgivable offense.
The socialist wing's emboldened posture comes on the heels of electoral victories in New York City, which have given figures in the DSA renewed confidence to challenge not just moderate Democrats but even the most progressive members of the party. The message from the far left is unambiguous: fall in line or become a target, no matter how many revolutionary credentials you once carried.
There is a broader takeaway here that goes beyond internal Democratic squabbling. When the woman who essentially created the modern democratic socialist brand in Congress is no longer considered sufficiently committed to the cause, it reveals just how far the movement's goalposts have shifted. The socialist faction is not interested in incremental progress or coalition building. It wants total ideological conformity, and it will devour its own icons to get it.
The Democratic Party's leftward drift is accelerating, and the fact that AOC of all people is now considered an obstacle rather than an asset tells you everything you need to know about where these forces want to take American politics....
Read more about this story: AOC Isn't Socialist Enough Anymore, and the Left Is Turning on Her
