Ex-Democrat who raised $50million for the left TURNS on AOC and reveals the reckoning she can’t laugh away
Evan Barker, a former Democratic fundraiser who raised up to $50 million for progressive candidates before voting for Donald Trump in 2024, has criticised Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for trying to laugh off her past "woke" positions rather than explaining how her views have changed. Barker, author of "Nothing Left: Confessions Of A Democratic Operative", argues this dismissiveness makes Ocasio-Cortez appear disingenuous and warns she will need to properly address the issue if she seeks the presidency, particularly as such positions helped push working-class Democrats towards Trump.
Ocasio-Cortez previously went viral for admitting the early "woke" movement got "crazy", having once backed defunding the police, decriminalising border crossings, abolishing ICE and using terms like "Latinx" and "menstruating persons". Barker, now an independent, told the Daily Mail she does not regret her 2024 vote for Trump despite disappointment with his second term, but is more troubled that Democrats have failed to change course after their election loss, instead simply pivoting toward economic messaging while leaving unpopular social positions unaddressed. She said this mismatch between "lefty economics" and "super lefty social views" risks further losses, though she noted a mixed response to her book, with disillusioned Democrats and independents writing in alongside a larger number of welcoming messages from Republicans.
In short
- Ex-Democratic fundraiser Evan Barker says AOC hasn't truly addressed her "woke" past.
- Barker argues Democrats are pivoting on economics, not unpopular social policies.
- She voted Trump in 2024, remains critical of Democrats' failure to change course.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Barker’s criticism is that voters deserve a candid account of how politicians’ views have changed, rather than humour that can seem to evade responsibility. If some progressive positions alienated working-class voters, Democrats who want to rebuild trust may need to address those concerns directly as well as emphasise economic policy.
The case against
Ocasio-Cortez could reasonably argue that political positions evolve and that acknowledging excesses in a movement can itself signal reflection, without requiring her to disown every earlier stance. She may also see Barker’s framing as treating a few prominent slogans as representative of her broader record, while his own political shift and book give him an interest in portraying Democrats as out of touch.
Explained simply
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a Democratic member of the US House of Representatives, known for supporting progressive policies. “Woke” is a contested term often used to describe attention to social inequality and discrimination; in US politics it is also used critically to describe some left-wing positions.
Evan Barker is a former Democratic fundraiser who says she raised millions of dollars for progressive candidates before voting for Donald Trump in 2024. She has argued that Democrats need to explain how their positions on social issues have changed, as well as set out their economic policies.
The debate matters because Democrats are weighing how to appeal to voters after losing support among some working-class communities. Ocasio-Cortez is also seen as a possible future presidential candidate, so her record and how she discusses it could shape how voters judge her.
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