Her comments struck an unusually defensive tone for the 29-year-old progressive firebrand, as Democrats seek to winnow their list of 23 presidential contenders. Ocasio-Cortez also acknowledged that progressive frustration with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was “quite real” and spoke bluntly on her initiative to repeal the Hyde Amendment, which bars most federal funding for abortion — and 2020 Democrat frontrunner Joe Biden’s abrupt reversal on the issue earlier this month.
“I think that we have a very real risk of losing the presidency to Donald Trump if we do not have a presidential candidate that is fighting for true transformational change in the lives of working people in the United States,” Ocasio-Cortez told ABC News’ Jon Karl on “This Week” in her first Sunday morning show appearance since she took office in January.