Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) addresses controversies about Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong’s past statements during an ABC News interview on “This Week” with Jonathan Karl. Ocasio-Cortez describes Hong’s earlier views as “crazy,” quoting a New York City Council member in response to questions about specific remarks, including calls to “cancel Thanksgiving.”
In the interview, Karl presses Ocasio-Cortez on whether she believes Hong’s prior positions should affect voters’ views. Ocasio-Cortez initially does not directly answer in full, instead arguing that Hong has moved away from the views reflected in older statements. The Hill and Real Clear Politics both report that the discussion centers on the candidate’s previously documented rhetoric and the political dispute around whether it is disqualifying or outdated.
Across outlets, the emphasis differs: one highlights Ocasio-Cortez’s “woke 1 was crazy” phrasing, while the other focuses more on how Democrats are trying to respond to scrutiny of “woke” ideas in the context of the campaign.
