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.