During an appearance on Late Night on Thursday, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on Democrats to support the party’s presidential nominee regardless of whether it’s Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden.
Host Seth Meyers asked Ocasio-Cortez, a staunch supporter of Sanders, about concerns that Sanders supporters wouldn’t back Biden if he wins the nomination, or vice versa.
“Is it safe to assume that you will support Joe Biden if he is the nominee?” Meyers said.
“I’ve said throughout this entire process that what is so important is that we ultimately unite behind who that Democratic nominee is,” Ocasio-Cortez responded. “And I think it’s a two-way street. I’ve been concerned by some folks that say if Bernie’s the nominee, they won’t support him—and the other way around.
“Right now, November, you know, this is more important than all of us,” she added. “And we really need to make sure that we defeat Donald Trump at the polls —assuming, and knowing, how insane it’s going to get between now and then.”
Earlier in the interview, Ocasio-Cortez addressed the coronavirus outbreak, reiterating her concerns about Vice President Mike Pence leading the Trump administration’s response.
“I think that we should have a person who believes in science in charge,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Ideally, what we have is a person who believes in universal healthcare and paid sick leave and an agenda that actually can help prevent the transmission of disease.”
Ocasio-Cortez, who once worked as a bartender, also suggested that food-service workers in the U.S. could spread coronavirus because they are reluctant to seek medical care under the Trump administration’s new public charge rule. The rule, which went into effect last month, allows immigration officers to deny green cards or visas to people who are determined likely to become dependent on government benefits.
“Basically, what it says is that if you are seeking medical care, that can be used against you in a deportation proceeding, and so the people who feed us are now scared to seek medical care,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “This is not a situation that befits us as a country, and it’s one that frankly I think shows that we are as strong as who we allow to be most vulnerable in our society.”
