AOC slams Democratic leadership: 'overwhelmingly from one generation'

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez dinged her party's leadership as being "overwhelmingly from one generation."

Speaking on the "Pod Save America" podcast, the Democrat said "I'm not here to sell people on the idea that the leadership of the Democratic Party, which is overwhelmingly from one generation... and overwhelmingly from a lopsided class perspective, is the same as me or you or anything else like that," per the Washington Examiner.

"I think party leadership is a distinct conversation, but I think what actually matters more is — are you excited to vote for anybody on your ballot," she continued. "And the more local you get, I actually think the more flexible and exciting your candidates can be."

One of the youngest Democratic lawmakers, the New York congresswoman is a leading member of the "squad," a group of four progressive representatives within the party who are both among its youngest and most left-leaning figures.

President Joe Biden, himself nearing 80, has drawn criticism about both his own fitness to serve in office and the potential need to transfer leadership to younger members of the party. 

Ocasio-Cortez further asserted that the party's "big tent" approach had limited its candidates' ability to pursue middle class support. "There's a lot in our big tent — it's highly segmented and I think that there is a lot of objections from that within our party which prevents us from being as forceful on these issues as we can be," she said. "I also think there's a conversation to be had about men and male identity because when we look into this... we're shedding men."

Democrats currently trail their Republican opponents by 3.0 points in the generic congressional ballot with two weeks remaining until the November midterm elections and an anticipated surge for the GOP.

Ocasio-Cortez's remarks contrast somewhat with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who acknowledged the need for the party to bring in younger voices, but asserted the old guard still had its place. "We need generational change, of course we do, but in some cases there's no substitute for experience," Pelosi said, per the Examiner. "I think that what we had been through with the legislation under the leadership of President Biden, who has done a spectacular job — he has had a better two years than most presidents you can name, certainly in the recent generations."