Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) stated that the Republican Party's reliance on fear as a political tactic is losing its effectiveness, following a series of progressive victories in New York's primary elections.
"The one thing that we know is that the Republican Party's brand is fear," Ocasio-Cortez said in an interview with MS NOW's Jen Psaki on Friday. "And they have to constantly churn what they want people to be afraid of, to be afraid of socialists, to be afraid of immigrants, to be afraid of women.. they constantly want Americans in fear of somebody."
Recent primary contests saw progressive candidates, including liberal Brad Lander and Democratic socialists Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, secure wins. These victories, some of which were backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have drawn sharp reactions from some Republican figures.
Former President Donald Trump criticized the winning candidates, labeling them as communists and asserting that they would harm the country. He also posted anti-communist sentiments on his social media platform, drawing a distinction between Democratic socialism and communism.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who had supported the incumbent opponents of Valdez and Lander, indicated that Mamdani would need to engage in discussions with members of Congress moving forward.
Ocasio-Cortez countered that Republicans' focus on fear distracts from economic issues. "If you are not afraid of someone who is your neighbor, you’re going to realize who’s actually pickpocketing you, and that is the large corporations that are engaged in profiteering and jacking up your prices for no good reason," she stated. She added that the current political climate leaves people's "nerves shot" from constant exposure to messages of fear, leading them to seek simple solutions.