President Joe Biden has not reached out to progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in his bid for a second White House term, the New York lawmaker said.
But the president is calling on former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton to hold a fundraiser to boost enthusiasm for his reelection campaign, according to a new report.
AOC told Meet the Press host Kristen Welker that she sees her role in the 2024 presidential race as ‘expanding the power’ of the progressive movement but admitted she has not been directly tapped by the Biden camp.
Meanwhile, Biden’s team is leaning into establishment Democrats to try and energize a voter base that otherwise seems apathetic toward his reelection and the majority in polls say they don’t want to see a rematch between him and former President Donald Trump.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says that President Joe Biden has not reached out to her about helping with his 2024 reelection. She says ‘ I see my role overall’ with 2024 ‘as really trying to expand the power’ of the progressive movement
Four people familiar with planning told NBC News that the first-of-its-kind fundraiser is in the works to get Biden, Clinton and Obama to appear alongside each other in the spring. No date is set, but schedules are being coordinated now for a March or April fundraiser.
It underscores the importance of Biden’s allies to help get him over the finish line in November in an election viewed as having the highest stakes for the future of American democracy.
‘You know, you have said in the past it’s not just enough for Democrats to talk about what they are running against. You want the president to be talking about what he’s running for,’ Welker said to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday morning. ‘Do you think, in this very moment, President Biden is doing a good enough job explaining to voters why they should vote for him and not just against Former President Trump?’
‘I think we can certainly do more to be advancing our vision. And I believe that we have a strong vision that we can run on,’ she replied, claiming Biden should be leaning into issues like more affordable healthcare and reducing college tuition alongside forgiving student loans.
‘But I do believe that advancing that affirmative vision is going to be very, very important as well as really laying out and showing, between now and November, through our governing decisions, our governing decisions, when we have that power in the White House, what we are willing to do with it.’
‘Has the Biden campaign reached out to you and said, ‘We want you to help reelect President Biden’? How do you see your role and the role of progressives in this reelection effort?’ Welker posed.
‘I see my role overall as really trying to expand the power of movements,’ she replied, adding: ‘We’ve been in contact with the Biden administration throughout my term and throughout his term, as well.’
‘I know that he has been in contact, you know, with many members of Congress. But, you know, I think what is most important is that (and in terms of my role) I think my role is in allegiance to people’s movements across this country.’
Meanwhile, a new NBC News report indicates there are plans to have former Democratic President Barack Obama and Bill Clinton appear alongside Biden in a March or April fundraiser to help boost him going into the general election campaign
Biden has leaned more into campaigning for his reelection in the new year, visiting states like North and South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia to spread his message. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris was deployed to the west where she touted the administration’s moves toward bolstering small businesses during a Nevada swing.
Donald Trump is still in a primary election match with former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. But with Trump far in the lead, it’s looking like 2024 will be a rematch between him and Biden – even though that is the last thing voters say they want.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week shows 67 percent of primary voters are ‘tired of seeing the same candidates in presidential elections and want someone new.’
The same poll put Trump 6 percentage points ahead of Biden.