The socialists in America have become far more emboldened after their win in New York City last week, as they are not only going after the more moderate members of the Democratic Party, but have even begun to criticize New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most progressive members of Congress.
Why? Because she has publicly backed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, even as the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) move to challenge his hold on power. The message is clear: even the most progressive Democrats are not safe, as the socialist wing pushes to drag the entire party further left and punish anyone who won’t fall in line, including AOC, for refusing to back DSA challengers to Democrat incumbents, supporting Jeffries, and moving too cautiously.
"AOC hasn't endorsed a challenger to an incumbent Democrat in the last two election cycles," Cenk Uygur, the founder of the progressive Young Turks, wrote on X. "And she is enthusiastically supporting Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker if Dems win the House. When people were working so hard to get her elected, this is exact opposite of what we were hoping for."
His nephew and a rising voice on the progressive left, Hasan Piker, was also quick to criticize AOC over the weekend, not only for backing Hakeem Jeffries but for showing caution as a member of Congress and falling short of the radicalism the progressive left had hoped for.
"I think she [AOC] is far more careful than what this moment requires. I think AOC plays it maybe too safe. That's my criticism of Zohran as well but then, imma be honest with you, with Zohran at least we see the immediate return on investment." Hasan's opinion on whether or not… pic.twitter.com/i4N7K4F8EW
— adri ♡ (@socialistadri) June 28, 2026
"I think AOC plays it maybe too safe," Piker said. "Zohran said the same thing too, and that's my criticism of Zohran as well. But then I'm going to be honest with you, I'm going to be honest with you, with Zohran at least like we've seen the immediate return on investment."
He went on to slam the House Minority leader for being what Piker described as "one of the biggest Israel stooges in Congress right now," a damning critique from the progressive left who has openly vowed to challenge those within their party who have any good things to say about the Jewish state.
The breadth of criticism runs even broader, as vast swaths of progressives across X and other social media platforms are deeming the New York congresswoman nothing more than a Democratic Party loyalist, a significant rebuke of a congresswoman whose entire brand is built on progressivism.
If AOC is now fair game for the progressive left, it signals the DSA’s ambitions run far deeper than most want to realize.