In a recent interview with Jen Psaki on MSNBC, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) shared her perspective on the Republican presidential primary race, specifically targeting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's campaign strategy. Ocasio-Cortez argued that DeSantis is making a significant miscalculation by attempting to outmaneuver former President Donald Trump on the right. She stated, "You can’t out-Trump Trump, that’s what he’s trying to do." She further criticized DeSantis's policies in Florida, citing his stance on education, LGBTQ+ rights, and what she described as attacks on teachers.
Ocasio-Cortez highlighted DeSantis's focus on combating "woke" ideology, including his legislative actions against critical race theory in schools, restrictions on discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in K-12 education, and limitations on gender-affirming care for minors. While these measures have garnered support from conservatives, Ocasio-Cortez characterized them as a "profound political miscalculation and overcompensation." She suggested that while DeSantis may be aiming to appeal to Trump's base, he is ultimately undermining his potential advantage as a more moderate alternative.
Ocasio-Cortez contended that DeSantis's approach represents a significant departure from what some perceived as his potential strength: the possibility of presenting himself as a more rational alternative to Trump. She concluded by stating, "He may be trying to win the base, but that base belongs to Donald Trump. He has sacrificed, I think, the one thing that others may have thought would make him competitive, which is this idea that he can somehow be more rational than Donald Trump, which he isn’t."
