Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) issued a sharp warning to fellow Democrats on Friday, urging them to steer clear of political alliances with former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), whom she described as a “proven bigot.” The remarks came during a student event hosted by the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, where Ocasio-Cortez was asked about bipartisan cooperation with Republican lawmakers, including Representative Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.).
Ocasio-Cortez stood by her 2021 comments about “legitimate white supremacist sympathizers at the core of the House of Representatives caucus,” emphasizing that her willingness to work across the aisle depends on trust in intent and outcomes. “I personally do not trust someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene, a proven bigot and antisemite, on the issues of what is good for Gazans and Israelis,” she said. “I don’t think that it benefits our movement, in that instance, to align the left with white nationalists. I don’t think it serves us.”
The New York Democrat acknowledged that she has found common ground with Burchett, despite his past jabs. “He’s called me a communist, and a witch, and whatever it is… But you know what? We’ve got to ban insider trading in Congress. And I care about results,” she said. Burchett, in a recent interview with NewsNation, referred to Ocasio-Cortez as his “buddy” and a “friendly neighborhood Marxist.”
The feud between Ocasio-Cortez and Greene has been a recurring feature of Congress since both were elected in the post-Trump wave. In March 2025, Greene attacked Ocasio-Cortez’s personal life, calling her “a woman that has really no life experience,” unmarried, childless, and with only brief bar work. Greene’s criticisms later shifted toward Trump, and she resigned from Congress in January after a falling out with Republican leadership.
Greene dismissed Ocasio-Cortez’s characterization of her “revenge tour,” telling NewsNation, “I don’t want to go serve somewhere where all of my good ideas and bills I want to work on get completely stopped in a system that I think is utter failure.” She also claimed Ocasio-Cortez was “jealous” of her visit to New York and appearance on “The View.”
Despite Ocasio-Cortez’s warnings, some progressives have shown openness to working with Greene. Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) praised Greene’s push to release Jeffrey Epstein files, joining her in demanding transparency. Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) surprised many by calling Greene a “good” Republican, noting she said, “I was elected by my constituents, that’s who I am beholden to, not the president of the United States.” Ocasio-Cortez, widely seen as Sanders’ political heir, has hinted at a potential presidential run in 2028, with ambitions to reshape the country.
The debate over cross-aisle alliances comes as Ocasio-Cortez continues to push progressive economic policies, including a recent call to tax billionaires. Meanwhile, Greene has remained vocal on issues like the Epstein files, even as she dismissed Pentagon UFO releases as propaganda. The Hill has reached out to Greene for comment on Ocasio-Cortez’s latest remarks.
