Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently framed her political messaging around rejecting divisions between “left and right” while simultaneously launching sharp critiques against Republican policies. At a March 2025 rally in Tucson, Arizona, she argued that billionaires and GOP leaders exploit cultural issues to distract from economic inequality, stating: “They want to divide us along lines of left or right…to keep us distracted” . However, moments later, she accused Republicans of promoting “disdain for the working class” through policies she labeled as “corruption” and “ugly politics,” specifically criticizing tax cuts for the wealthy and GOP-backed spending bills .
While calling for unity, Ocasio-Cortez targeted conservative priorities such as debates over transgender athletes (“the focus on trans kids is all about…distraction”) and efforts to restrict classroom discussions on race (“erasing American history”) . She framed Republican agendas as “stealing” healthcare and Social Security funds to benefit “crypto billionaire friends” and called Trump’s executive orders “a wrecking ball to our country” . This dual approach—decrying partisan divides while attributing malice to one side—mirrors her earlier 2024 remarks blaming “white men” for Trump’s electoral success despite urging Democrats to avoid “sectarianism” .
The tension reflects broader fractures within progressive circles. Ocasio-Cortez’s own Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) withdrew its endorsement of her in July 2024 over her refusal to fully oppose U.S. support for Israel, with far-left factions accusing her of “betrayal” for participating in panels they deemed pro-Zionist . Meanwhile, her alliance with Bernie Sanders during the 2025 “Fighting Oligarchy” tour highlighted efforts to position Democrats as defenders of working-class interests against GOP “oligarchs” like Elon Musk—even as internal party divisions persisted over leaders like Chuck Schumer .
Critics argue this pattern—aspiring to transcend left-right divides while adopting confrontational rhetoric—underscores the challenges of appealing to centrist voters without alienating progressive bases. Her dismissal of Republican priorities as “corruption” contrasts with claims that “no matter who you voted for…you are welcome here” , revealing the tightrope walked by progressive figures in polarized times.
