AOC ‘surprised’ at how fast Democrats rallied around Kamala Harris despite ‘concerns’ raised in conversations about the VP

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she’s glad she was proven wrong after she predicted that party leaders would want to remove not only Joe Biden but also Kamala Harris from the top of the Democratic ticket.

The New York Democrat was among the last to insist Biden should stay in the race for 2024, warning that she was also involved in talks among Democrats about ousting Harris.

“I think some of the skeptics and people who I think were skeptics were surprised by that,” Ocasio-Cortez told DailyMail.com.

“And I was pleased to see the party rally behind her. I think I raised those concerns because of conversations that I had seen and was aware of, leading up to that moment, and I’m pleased to see that they were pushed back.”

After Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday, Democrats have quickly gotten behind Harris. Harris has just over 100 days left to prove herself to voters, until November 5.

But Harris appears to be off to a good start, raising $81 million in the 24 hours after Biden withdrew and endorsed her as his successor.

The New York Democrat was among the latest to insist Biden should stay in the race for 2024, warning that she was part of conversations in which Democrats had discussed unseating Harris as well.

“That shows there’s a big difference in enthusiasm between Democrats and Republicans,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.).

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), a friend of Biden’s, said Harris would attract young and black voters after Biden lost support among those demographics.

“We need to get young people excited. She’s definitely drawing in the African-American community,” she said.

“The people of Flint, my hometown, the enthusiasm for Harris there, the level of enthusiasm that we’re seeing, I’m not exaggerating, this sounds like a Joe Biden comment, but hundreds of new volunteers walking into our headquarters in the state of Michigan, people suddenly very excited,” Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., explained of what he’s seen in the one day since Biden dropped out of the race.

But in a late-night Instagram post on Friday, the New York Democrat said it was “nonsense” for Democrats to give anonymous quotes to reporters saying they don’t believe Biden can win the election.

“If that’s your opinion, and if that’s what you think is best for the country, then put your name to it, okay?” she said. “That’s a load of horse shit.”

According to the congressman, former President Trump is “also very old, a racist and a neo-Nazi.”

She criticized the “lack of thoughtfulness” of Democratic leaders, who did not want Biden to run but had no watertight alternative plan.

She warned that much of the Democratic establishment, now turning against Biden, will also push Harris away.

“I’m just going to say it. If you think there’s a consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to abandon Kamala, that they’re going to support Kamala, Vice President Harris, you’re wrong.”

“I’m in these rooms. I see what they’re saying in conversations,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “They’re interested in removing the entire ticket.”

“A large portion of the donor class and a large portion of these elites, and a large portion of these people in these rooms that I see pushing for President Biden not to be the nominee, are also not interested in seeing the vice president as the nominee. Are they going to win with that? I don’t know.”

“To some extent, I don’t care what name is on it. We don’t lose. I don’t know about you, but my community doesn’t have the option of losing,” she continued. “My people are the first to be deported. They’re the first to be put in Rikers, they’re the first to have their families killed by war.”

“I’m not here to tell you that if Joe Biden is the nominee, he’s definitely going to win. I don’t think that if anybody is nominated, we’re definitely going to win,” Ocasio-Cortez also said Friday.

“There is no safe option,” she admitted.

“I can’t tell you how embarrassing it is to hear all these leaks about which Democratic leaders are staying and not one of them will confirm or deny it,” the Minnesota Democrat and progressive member of “Squad” wrote on X.

“It’s a lack of leadership and it makes all Democrats look bad. Whatever this mess does, it won’t undo the damage that’s already been done. God help us all.”

President Joe Biden, sick with COVID, increasingly isolated

A proud Biden has publicly maintained that he will be the Democratic nominee and that only God or a “medical condition” would force him to step down. So far, he has been supported in his decision to stay put by family members, first lady Jill Biden and son Hunter.

Despite the campaign’s best efforts at damage control, Biden at times appeared confused, distraught and exasperated in an interview Monday night with NBC’s Lester Holt. The official story remains that top Democrats did not pressure the president to resign.

Progressive activists were left scratching their heads as Squad House members emerged as Biden’s latest pillars of support, even at a time when it’s relatively safe to speak out against him after the June 27 debate.

Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) all stood firmly behind keeping Joe Biden at the top of their list, as nearly 20 House Democrats have called on him to resign.

“Joe Biden is our nominee. He’s not leaving this race. He’s in this race and I support him,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters earlier this month.

Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) delivered remarks expressing support for the president.