Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is being blasted as “radical” by a fellow New York House Democrat, but the socialist firebrand appears to be embracing the onslaught — even launching a fundraiser off of it.
AOC called out Rep. Tom Suozzi over comments he made recently blasting the lefty — he told her and other Democratic Socialists of America members, including New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, to leave the Democratic Party — signaling a growing rift in New York’s House delegation.
She then used the criticism in a fundraising letter to supporters.
Her campaign welcomed a Sept. 2 Post headline at the top of a recent fundraising solicitation that said, “Mamdani, AOC and other DSA members should leave party: Dem Rep. Tom Suozzi insists.”
“One of Alexandria’s colleagues said they were ‘shocked’ to see how hostile members of her own party were towards Alexandria from the moment she arrived in Congress — and clearly she still faces hostility to this day,” the letter said in a clear swipe at Suozzi.
AOC, whose congressional district includes portions of western Queens and The Bronx, leads the “Squad” in the House and has become the national face of far left politics.
Suozzi told Marcia Kramer during a Sept. 2 interview on CBS New York’s “The Point” that “Zohran Mamdani and other Democratic Socialists should create their own party because I don’t want that in my party.”
A longtime moderate Democrat who reps parts of Nassau County and Queens, Suozzi has led the House’s bipartisan “Problem Solvers” caucus.
He later stood by his tough talk to The Post, slamming socialism and DSA’s anti-police policies for having “failed everywhere.”
The AOC campaign pushed back saying the congresswoman — first elected in a 2018 political shocker — supports “common sense” proposals such as helping sick people get healthcare without going bankrupt, helping people afford housing, and urged the fight against “abuses and corporate greed.”
“If this is what makes us ‘radical,’ then we wear that label proudly,” her campaign said in seeking $5 donations from supporters.
Last week, Ocasio-Cortez also took a dig at congressional Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries — and other party establishment insiders — for not backing Mamdani despite toppling ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in June’s Democratic primary.
“We have a Democratic nominee. Are we a party who rallies behind our nominee or not?” Ocasio-Cortez, a major Mamdani backer, said.
A Suozzi rep declined to comment on AOC zinging him in the fundraiser, while Jeffries had no immediate comment.
