White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed comments attributed to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) during an appearance on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime, rejecting the idea that supporters of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement are shifting toward democratic socialism.
The exchange underscores persistent ideological clashes between the Trump administration and progressive Democrats, especially amid ongoing pushes on taxes, immigration, border security, and social policies. It highlights partisan disagreements about voter sentiment in the wake of President Trump’s 2024 election win.
What to know
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez recently claimed that some Trump supporters have privately approached her expressing regret over their vote and openness to democratic socialist ideas. She stated: “I fully welcome Trump voters into our coalition… I can’t tell you how many times someone has pulled me aside and said either I was once a big Trump voter and Trump supporter, but then I started to expand my world and where I got information and now I’ve learned and I’ve changed.” She has suggested that elements of President Trump’s policies—such as expanded child care tax credits—might be drawing some conservative or MAGA voters toward left-leaning ideas.
During her interview on Jesse Watters Primetime host Jesse Watters asked Leavitt about these assertions. Leavitt firmly dismissed them, stating:
“Absolutely not. In fact, I’d like to see some of the people who actually said that to AOC and check their ballots and see if they actually voted for President Trump because I can assure you MAGA Republicans oppose everything that AOC and the modern-day communist Democrat Party stands for. Mass migration open borders we saw under Biden’s administration men in women’s sports is something MAGA Republicans and frankly the whole country rejects it’s a 90-10 issue taxing people to death, taking their money giving your majority of income back that horrible idea has not worked for thousands of years. MAGA Republicans know it. That’s why they overwhelmingly voted to reelect President Trump. A Democrat you had on monologue was right about one thing that the Republican Party under President Trump is a party of working man and woman. And because President Trump pro-growth America first policies he has spoken directly to hearts forgotten men women across this country.”
Coverage was in Fox News (via their official Jesse Watters Primetime broadcast).
Fox News is expected to continue featuring administration officials in prime-time segments, which may include follow-up discussions on voter trends, policy overlaps, or related ideological debates. No immediate statements from Rep. Ocasio-Cortez or her office have surfaced. The administration continues prioritizing its core agenda, including tax reforms and border enforcement.
