Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., a member of "the Squad" of extreme-left Democrats, said Monday she is firmly behind President Joe Biden remaining the party's presidential nominee and considers the matter closed.
A small number of Democrat lawmakers, including Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, have called on Biden, 81, to withdraw from the race after his widely criticized debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27. The shaky and halting performance by the oldest-serving president in U.S. history raised concerns about his mental and physical health.
Since the debate, Ocasio-Cortez has been relatively silent regarding Biden and whether he should continue to seek reelection, but she opened up Monday to Ed O'Keefe, senior White House and political correspondent for CBS News.
"I have spoken to the President over the weekend. I have spoken with him extensively," Ocasio-Cortez said, according to a post on O'Keefe's X account. "He made clear then and he has made clear since that he is in this race. The matter is closed. He had reiterated that this morning, he has reiterated that to the public.
"Joe Biden is our nominee. He is not leaving this race. He is in this race, and I support him."
In a letter Monday to congressional Democrats, Biden wrote that he is "firmly committed" to staying in the race and called for an "end" to the intraparty drama that has torn apart Democrats since his debate performance.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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