Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) claimed in an interview with New York Magazine she is “one of the most hated people in America.”
“It’s weird,” she said in the profile about her first year in Washington, DC. “Because I know I am also one of the most hated people in America.”
Although Ocasio-Cortez is a political neophyte who is just starting out in her career, the 30-year-old New York Democrat has managed to become one of the most significant figures on the left in the age of President Donald Trump.
She rose as a prominent leftist figure when she declared herself head of “the squad,” a group of four female left-wing members of congress, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA).
Ocasio-Cortez said she was surprised at how her colleagues saw her as an “unseen force” in political primaries since she pulled off her upset victory over seasoned former Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) in the 2018 election.
Although her congressional colleagues say she has influenced the primaries, she has only endorsed two political candidates, one of them being Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
“As a consequence of my victory, many people are inspired to run for office, and in a body where 70 percent of the seats are safe red or safe blue, that de facto means a lot more primaries,” she told the magazine. “A lot of members think I’m like a Koch brother.”
Political operatives have speculated that Ocasio-Cortez will make a run for the presidency in 2024 or in 2028. However, those close to the New York Democrat said she is more likely to launch a statewide run for Senate in 2022 or 2024.