Trump Won the War on Wokeness. AOC Is the Proof.
AOC’s “Woke 1 was crazy” line shows how Trump reshaped not just the GOP, but the political terrain Democrats now navigate.
During an appearance on ABC’s This Week, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong against scrutiny of her earlier support for radical ideas like abolishing police and prisons. Ocasio-Cortez said, "Woke 1 was crazy," a line she attributed to New York City Councilman Chi Ossé.
This statement highlights a strange period in American political life where progressivism fought over issues such as defunding police, abolishing prisons, DEI, gender, language, and the ideological significance of almost everything. Ocasio-Cortez's argument was that politicians should be judged by their current beliefs, rather than being frozen in the ideological amber of 2020.
Trump's impact on the Republican Party has led to a coalition built around borders, trade, nationalism, and an aggressive revolt against progressive institutions and cultural language. His political legacy includes not only reshaping the Republican Party but also forcing Democrats to retreat from some of the excesses of the progressive moment.
Democrats have begun to distinguish between the progressive ideas they still defend and the cultural politics they would prefer voters treat as an expired beta test. This shift in political language is evidenced by Ocasio-Cortez's statement, which demonstrates a growing recognition of the need to differentiate between past progressive excesses and current political beliefs.
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