President-elect Donald Trump provided some words of encouragement to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Socialist-NY) after she failed to secure enough votes to assume the leadership role as the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee in the upcoming Congress.
AOC lost her bid to Rep. Gerry Connolly from Virginia. The results saw Connolly receiving 131 votes compared to AOC's 84, highlighting the Democratic caucus's preference for seniority. Or rather, literally just a preference for seniors.
The vote has been viewed by some as a setback for the younger, progressive wing of the party, with some pointing out that 84-year-old former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) played a role in thwarting AOC's leadership aspirations.
With her aspirations doused, Trump opted to offer some words of encouragement. Albeit, nobody is quite sure if they were sincere or if they were dripping with sarcasm.
"Really too bad that AOC lost the Battle for the Leadership Seat in the Democrat Party," he wrote on Truth Social. "She should keep trying. Someday, she will be successful!"
Learn More: AOC's Bid to Lead Dems on Key Committee Goes Down in Flames
Much to everybody's surprise, AOC did not lash out at Trump's comments. She did not accuse him of literal attempted murder, as she once did Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). She did not accuse him of making comments designed to foment violence against her. And she did not accuse him of wanting to place her in a concentration camp.
As a matter of fact, she actually had a bit of a laugh with it.
"Damn," she wrote alongside a screenshot of Trump's comments. "You know it’s bad when even Trump is feeling bad for me."
Ocasio-Cortez added a crying while laughing emoji.
Damn you know it’s bad when even Trump is feeling bad for me 😂 pic.twitter.com/PWF6LV7PVV
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 18, 2024
Could this be a sign of a softening of relations between the two? Two New York politicians who seem to transcend politics and reach out to their respective groups in ways not seen amongst typical stuffy elected officials?
Not likely. At least, not likely, barring the congresswoman getting one of those "Flowers for Algernon" surgeries.
Still, it makes you wonder. The President-elect this past summer offered praise when asked for a word to describe the former bartender. Trump, after initially mocking her as "fake," backtracked and indicated she has "a spark."
Trump says AOC is ‘fake, but she has a spark’.
— Sabrina Smolders 🦋🌹 (@SabrinaSmolders) August 6, 2024
What do you think? 😃 pic.twitter.com/7pkOUmbTcQ
“But in all fairness, but she knows it. She’s got a thing going. But it’s a good thing. Good thing for her,” Trump said during an interview with internet personality Adin Ross. “She’s got a spark that’s pretty amazing, actually. She’s got a good spark. I’ll change it. I’ll say spark.”
Trump even went a step further, adding, "She’s got a lot of sizzle."
Newfound respect aside, Ocasio-Cortez hasn't exactly pulled back the reins in her criticism of Trump as a "fascist."
"We find ourselves, I believe, in a time where there are, let's say, peers in the history of massive movements of people that mobilize to protect one another in times of fascism and authoritarianism," she said following the election. "And this is the era that we are poised to enter."
A report last month indicates that in their sadness over Trump's win, Democrats are feeling "lost and rudderless," even going so far as to view AOC as a potential presidential candidate in 2028.
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