U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has revealed she once expected to serve only a single term in Congress because of what she described as intense hostility from members of her own political party.
Speaking in a recent interview, the New York Democrat said she was “treated horribly” early in her tenure and was repeatedly told she was harming the party’s future because of her progressive policy positions.
“I was told that I was an enemy of my party,” Ocasio-Cortez said, according to a video shared by Here’s Why on Instagram remarks. “That I was going to be the reason why the right won.”
Criticism over progressive positions
Ocasio-Cortez said the backlash she experienced stemmed largely from her advocacy for policies such as expanded workers’ rights, universal healthcare, and protections for marginalized communities.
She explained that some critics within the Democratic Party viewed those positions as politically risky or too radical.
“What was hurtful about it was that they were telling me this because of what I believed,” she said, noting that her commitment to social justice issues and economic reforms drew sharp internal opposition.
Call for unity within the party
Despite those challenges, Ocasio-Cortez stated that the need for unity between moderates and progressives within the Democratic coalition.
She warned that ongoing internal divisions could weaken the party politically if they are not addressed through compromise and mutual recognition.
“In the Democratic Party we have a broad coalition,” she said. “There has to be some give… because we are all that we have. We will not survive apart.”
She added that managing conflict constructively — rather than suppressing disagreements — is essential for maintaining cohesion.
“We have to learn how to hold conflict and hold together in conflict,” she said.
A broader debate inside the party
Her remarks come amid ongoing debates about the ideological direction of the Democratic Party, particularly as progressive and centrist factions continue to differ on policy priorities and electoral strategy.
Ocasio-Cortez, first elected in 2018, has become one of the most prominent voices representing the party’s progressive wing.
