There is chatter about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-N.Y.) political future, but she is brushing aside the talk, which includes whether she could be a future speaker of the House of Representatives.
She is also “bugged” on whether she should launch a primary challenge against Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — or even run for president in the 2024 presidential election.
The New York lawmaker told Business Insider, “That’s a lot to put on one person.”
Ocasio-Cortez, 31, urged people to focus on what needs to be done now to make a change, “Right now we need millions of people in the streets. We need mass labor organizing. We need pressure on the Senate. We have to make these windows happen.”
“This isn’t about saviorism politics,” Ocasio-Cortez added in the interview.
Listen to Ocasio-Cortez’s interview below:
When it comes to her political career, Ocasio-Cortez has not ruled out a primary challenge against Schumer, 70.
Asked whether she would during the 2022 congressional elections, the Democratic lawmaker responded in a Punchbowl interview, “I’m a no bulls**t kind of person. I’m not playing coy or anything like that.”
She continued, “I’m still very much in a place where I’m trying to decide what is the most effective thing I can do to help our Congress, our [political] process, and our country actually address the issues of climate change, health care, wage inequality, etc.”
During an Intercept interview in December 2020, Ocasio-Cortez said, “I do think that we need new leadership in the Democratic Party.” She also said during that interview, “The House is extraordinarily complex and I’m not ready. It can’t be me. I know that I couldn’t do that job.”
Additionally, Ocasio-Cortez was asked again during that interview if she is “ready to say, Pelosi and Schumer need to go,” to which she responded, “I think so.” Her remarks came before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), 80, was re-elected as speaker of the House.
In January 2021, Pelosi was asked by CBS’ Lesley Stahl why Ocasio-Cortez is “[complaining] that you have not been grooming younger people for leadership.” The House speaker responded, “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her– because we are.”