Ocasio-Cortez's fierce clashes with Pelosi, pariah status among Democrats detailed in new book
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., caused rifts between Democratic colleagues beyond just former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an upcoming book alleges.
The Intercept reporter Ryan Grim’s book "The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution" revealed that since the progressive congresswoman’s first day in office, she has become a pariah by alienating and infuriating other Democrats.
"The gap between AOC's power outside the Capitol and the display of it on day one inside could hardly have been greater," Grim wrote. "To reshape that landscape she was rapidly sacrificing her relationships with colleagues."
In addition to moderate Democrats, AOC reportedly had tension even with far-left Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who felt "firmly usurped" by the New York representative despite the latter having "very little track record of actually organizing."
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Grim wrote that it was "not something (she) would quickly forgive."
Other excerpts from the book, coming out Tuesday, described an immediately strained relationship between AOC and Pelosi from the former’s election in 2018.
"Getting Pelosi’s unfiltered thoughts was both eye-opening and disturbing," Grim wrote. "Ocasio-Cortez, who had made the slogan ‘Abolish Ice’ [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] central to her challenge to Crowley, was particularly perplexed to hear Pelosi say that the phrase had been injected into American political discourse by the Russians and that Democrats needed to quash it."
A text from Ocasio-Cortez reportedly read, "The amount of times she told me that stupid 'I have protest signs older than you in my basement' sh*t. Like yeah but mine don't collect dust."
People particularly took issue following Ocasio-Cortez’s infamous "Tax the Rich" dress at the Met Gala in 2021, which led to her facing multiple ethics complaints and a House Ethics Committee investigation.
Grim wrote that the dress and her attendance "infuriated every organization that had either been told she couldn't attend their event or, more commonly, simply been ignored by her office."
Ocasio-Cortez also said Pelosi grew angry with her for supposedly bringing up vulnerabilities in House Democrat re-election apparatuses.
"I told her DCCC campaign vendors sucked," AOC said, "and that it was strange that after I beat [Joe] Crowley not a single person bothered to ask how I beat him… and how I think we should pay attention and ask questions when that happens, to spot weaknesses. She got so mad at me."
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Overall, the Squad has been perceived as "consumed by toxic infighting and grievances," Grim explained, referencing other AOC associates.
"I think we had done such a good job up until that point of massaging the language that there was a kind of arrogance of like: ‘We can actually appease everyone here’ instead of sticking to our guns and making a real choice about charting a different direction," Sunrise Movement co-founder Evan Weber told Grim.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office for a comment. She has so far not acknowledged the book’s claims.
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"Ocasio-Cortez's curse was her desire to win consensus that she was there to help, coupled with her radical politics," Grim summarized.
"She wanted to remake the system and to be thanked for doing it."