AOC tells Democrats 'resigned' to second Trump presidency after shooting to 'absolutely retire'

NEW YORK CITY - Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to X, formerly twitter, to publicly criticize fellow Democrats who have come to terms with Trump's potential reelection ahead of the November elections. The veteran representative urged those lawmakers to retire from mainstream politics.

The response comes after an anonymous quote from a senior House Democrat, reported by Axios the day after former president Trump's assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. That representative said "we've [Democrats] all resigned ourselves to a second Trump presidency."

But Ocasio-Cortez rejected the notion in her post on Sunday, questioning their ability to lead the party, and the country.

"If you're a 'senior Democrat' that feels this way, you should absolutely retire and make space for true leadership that refuses to resign themselves to fascism," she wrote.

"This kind of leadership is functionally useless to the American people. Retire," the representative continued.

The representative of New York's 14th congressional district has been supportive of Biden's candidacy in the past, a contrast with a growing number of voters and lawmakers who have called for his resignation amid concerns for his mental fitness and ability not only to govern for the next four years, but also to beat Trump in November.

"The matter is closed," Ocasio-Cortez told reporters last week asking if Biden should step aside.

Similarly, Ocasio-Cortez' mentor, the progressive independent senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, has also endorsed Biden and called for the party's unity around him.

"Enough!," Sanders wrote in the New York Times. "Mr. Biden may not be the ideal candidate, but he will be the candidate and should be the candidate. And with an effective campaign that speaks to the needs of working families, he will not only defeat Mr. Trump but beat him badly."

AOC's endorsement of Biden, as well as her response to the senior Democrats, follows Trump's assassination attempt, which she denounced almost immediately.

The incident in Pennsylvania left Trump shot in the ear, one rally-goer dead and two injured.

"There is no place for political violence, including the horrific incident we just witnessed in Pennsylvania," Ocasio-Cortez said. "It is absolutely unacceptable and must be denounced in the strongest terms."

"My heart goes out to all the victims and I wish the former president a speedy recovery," she continued.