On Monday, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez electrified the crowd at the Democratic National Convention with a passionate speech endorsing Kamala Harris for the presidency and laying out a bold progressive agenda for the future.
"America, when we knock on our neighbor’s door, organize our communities, and elect Kamala Harris as president on November 5th, we will send a clear message that we will not turn back," Ocasio-Cortez declared. "We choose a new path and open the door to a new day: one that is for the people and by the people."
The New York congresswoman received a raucous welcome from the convention audience in Chicago, who greeted her with chants of “AOC! AOC!” Known for her ability to connect with voters, Ocasio-Cortez assured the crowd that Harris would be a strong advocate for working Americans while warning against the dangers of reelecting Donald Trump. "Chicago, we must help her win because we know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and helping his Wall Street friends," she said. "I’m tired of hearing how a two-bit union buster thinks he’s more of a patriot than a woman who fights every day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life."
Ocasio-Cortez drew on her own life story to bolster Harris's candidacy, recalling her rapid rise from working as a bartender and waitress just six years ago to defeating a 10-term Democratic incumbent in Congress. She shared how, at the time of her first election in 2018, her family was struggling to make ends meet.
"Like millions of Americans, we were just looking for an honest chance, and we were tired of a cynical politics that seemed blind to the realities of working people," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Through the miracles of democracy and community, the good people of the Bronx and Queens chose someone like me to represent them in Congress."
She concluded by expressing her conviction that Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, would lead the country toward a brighter future. "And, America, in my heart, I know that from that same cloth of hope and aspiration, we will also elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as president and vice president of the United States."
Ocasio-Cortez also took a moment to acknowledge Joe Biden’s leadership, prompting applause from the crowd. Her enthusiastic endorsement of Harris was especially noteworthy given her previous concerns about replacing Biden as the nominee so late in the election cycle. Just days before Biden exited the race, Ocasio-Cortez had warned on Instagram Live that such a change could put Democrats at great risk. However, on Monday, those doubts were nowhere to be found as she pledged her full support to Harris, affirming that Harris would be a president for all Americans.
"In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president who understands the middle class because she comes from the middle class," Ocasio-Cortez stated. "She understands the urgency of buying groceries and prescriptions. She is as dedicated to protecting our reproductive and civil rights as she is to tackling corporate greed."
Addressing the issue of Israel, Ocasio-Cortez praised Harris for her efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bring hostages home. The congresswoman, like many progressives, has criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict in Gaza and condemned Israel’s actions as an "unfolding genocide." Many in the progressive wing are looking to Harris to set a new tone on Israel, an issue that could prove pivotal in a closely contested election.
Despite her optimism about Harris's chances, Ocasio-Cortez cautioned against complacency. With less than three months until election day, she urged Democrats to mobilize every resource at their disposal to ensure victory.
"Just because the choice is clear to us does not mean the path will be easy," she warned. "Over the next 78 days, we must pour every ounce, every minute, every moment into making history on November 5th."
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