Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 28-year-old democratic socialist who defeated incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY), told CNN on Wednesday she would support the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
“Would you push for a Trump impeachment should you win?” CNN’s Poppy Harlow asked the Bernie Sanders-supporting candidate.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez replied, “Well, I would. I would support impeachment. I think that, you know, we have the grounds to do it.”
The issue of impeachment has divided Democrats heading into the midterm elections, with even far-left leader Nancy Pelosi discouraging the party from rallying behind the issue. However, many progressives believe that only impeachment will energize their base enough to achieve a House or Senate majority. Billionaire donor Tom Steyer is spending tens of millions of dollars on advertising in favor of Trump’s impeachment.
Several polls have shown that the national conversation about impeachment hurts Democratic candidates, as the threat of rolling back the 2016 election will nationalize the midterms for Republican voters. Support from self-proclaimed socialists like Ocasio-Cortez may further pigeonhole the Democrats’ reputation as a regional party of coastal elites.