Rep. Tenney to Newsmax: AOC 'Better-Looking, Latina Version of Bernie Sanders'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the "better-looking, younger, female, Latina version of Bernie Sanders" who pushes "hard-core policies that are communist or socialist at the very least," Rep. Claudia Tenney said on Newsmax Monday about her fellow New Yorker. 

But she's also a "very charming" person whose charisma makes her a "little dangerous," Tenney added.

"She has been a great motivator for a lot of people, unfortunately, who don't understand that our country is about freedom," Tenney, R-N.Y., said about the Democrat lawmaker on Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "What AOC is doing now is forcing those who were at one time normally moderate and progressive Democrats to the far left, which is putting them in jeopardy because she's pushed [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi there as well."

And as a result, Tenney continued, "there isn't a single moderate" in the House. 

"That's because of AOC and her legacy. They have good reason to be fearful because AOC has been successful in basically taking out of office, not only just Joe Crowley, who she defeated in her win in 2018, but she's been successful in taking out reasonable or progressive Democrats in primaries, so they're terrified of her."

There has been talk that Ocasio-Cortez will campaign against Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in this year's elections, but Tenney said Schumer seems to be pushing the representative to run against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., instead. 

"I see that in the tea leaves," Tenney said. "It's not something that's overt, but I think they're all legitimately afraid of her with the far-left progressives, winning and taking over everything."

But with all that, Tenney acknowledged that Ocasio-Cortez is "very charming."

"All of my interns wanted to meet her, even though they are Republicans, just because she's AOC, and so that's the part about her that's very concerning to a lot of people," said Tenney. 

But the charisma is no substitution for a lawmaker who "doesn't really do her homework," she added. 

"Her charm gets her over the hump here, but I think in the end she hurts the Democrats."

Ocasio-Cortez was in the news over the New Year's weekend after she was seen in Miami while COVID numbers skyrocketed back home. 

"Her celebrity outshines her hypocrisy because she is hypocritical on so many levels," said Tenney. "One of my interns wanted a picture with her and she was so kind and obliging him and she stood there no mask for either one of them and he said, 'Hey, ma'am. Can we put our masks on? And she looked all of a sudden, like, oh, my goodness. You caught me.'"

But people are "starting to wake up" to Ocasio-Cortez, said Tenney. "It's starting to wear off. She reportedly answered a casting call to be a member of Congress, has what, almost 13 million followers on Twitter?" 

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