Is AOC ready to run for president?

**Justin Webb** (0:00)
We keep talking about the Democrats, and it's important that we do, because they're having quite a battle at the moment, an internal battle from which they might end up much stronger, or maybe not. They're having a battle to shake their future, and also to an extent to shake off their recent past.
One of America's most recognizable left-wing politicians, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has entered the fray, apparently disowning what she called the party's woke era in an interview this week. So in doing so, is she hitting back against some of the more extreme positions being taken by the party's left-wing at the moment, and potentially shaping her own bid for the White House? Could she, AOC, be the great unifier? And how seriously do the right see her as a threat? Or is it just another example of the Democrats having another argument among themselves? Welcome to Americast.

**Anthony Zurcher** (0:55)
Americast, from BBC News.

**Justin Webb** (0:57)
You hear that sound?

**Anthony Zurcher** (0:58)
Oh, I think when I hear that sound, it reminds me of money.

**SPEAKER_4** (1:02)
We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it. This is a big cover-up, and this administration is engaged in it.

**Justin Webb** (1:10)
This guy has Trump Derangement Syndrome.

**SPEAKER_5** (1:12)
I have four words for you, turn the volume up!

**Sarah Smith** (1:21)
Hello, it's Sarah here in the BBC's Washington Bureau.

**Anthony Zurcher** (1:24)
And it's Anthony here with Sarah in Washington, DC.

**Justin Webb** (1:26)
And it's Justin in the worldwide headquarters of Americast in London, England, and it's just after three o'clock in the afternoon British time on Thursday. And we have a question straight off from Ian on Discord. Is it really possible, Ian asks, that one day AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, will be president? That is exactly the question we're going to answer today.
The answer, of course, is maybe. But we're going to do it in a little bit more detail, aren't we? I mean, number one, it is really interesting, isn't it? That who she is and how she suddenly found herself back in the spotlight. Because you feel she is one of these characters, don't you? Who's been around for a bit. She has been very much on the left in the Democratic Party, a big figure on the left in the Democratic Party. And just this week, she has reinserted herself into the National Debate and into the Democrats' Debate.

**Anthony Zurcher** (2:20)
Yeah, I would say yes, it is possible certainly that she could be president. She has that kind of national platform, national visibility that you need to be able to run for president. She has a national fundraising network.
You're right, she has changed a bit since she came in in 2019 She was part of that squad, if you remember, of young progressive socialist women that included Ilhan Omar, and Cori Bush, and some others. But she has since kind of become a separate personality unto herself, and for Democrats who are looking for a new young left-wing face of the party, I think she's one of the ones that comes to mind first.

**Sarah Smith** (3:03)
You say, Anthony, she was part of that squad of young left-wingers. I think she was always the most visible one, wasn't she? She's particularly young. She pulled off a huge electoral upset when she got first elected to Congress. She was only 28 She did it by defeating in a primary election a sitting congressman who'd been in Congress for 20 years or so, one of the most powerful Democrats there was. She knocked out in the primary and then went on to win the race. She has always been very open and paraded her working class roots. She was working as a bartender and a waitress when she got elected. She came from a working class family. She's also very glamorous, very media friendly in that respect. The camera loves her, so she's always got a lot of attention.
She was playing a good social media game from the very beginning. I mean, I'm sure you were watching her election in New York, Anthony. I wasn't working in the United States at the time. I think she first came to my attention by hitting Twitter as it was then, and Instagram, talking fervently about politics, but also telling us what brand of lipstick she was wearing at the same time. She did it very naturally and very effectively.

**Anthony Zurcher** (4:12)
Yeah, I think that has been her particular talent, especially early on. She would be streaming live for hours at a time making bean burritos or whatever at home, but then also talking about politics. She was able to connect and break through with young voters in a way that some of the older Democrats just, they don't even have the tools and the authenticity to be able to do that.