Steve Inskeep

The Democrat wants to find her party's way back into power. It's a special episode of Up First from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep. Ocasio-Cortez wants to win back working class voters who supported President Trump in 2024, which leads to a question. To what extent is immigration as an issue part of your problem with working class voters?

The Democrat wants to find her party's way back into power. It's a special episode of Up First from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep. Ocasio-Cortez wants to win back working class voters who supported President Trump in 2024, which leads to a question. To what extent is immigration as an issue part of your problem with working class voters?

The Democrat wants to find her party's way back into power. It's a special episode of Up First from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep. Ocasio-Cortez wants to win back working class voters who supported President Trump in 2024, which leads to a question. To what extent is immigration as an issue part of your problem with working class voters?

Also, did Trump get ahead of Democrats on working class economic issues? And have Democrats lost ground because they're bad at governing? Stay with us. We'll put those questions and more to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Also, did Trump get ahead of Democrats on working class economic issues? And have Democrats lost ground because they're bad at governing? Stay with us. We'll put those questions and more to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Also, did Trump get ahead of Democrats on working class economic issues? And have Democrats lost ground because they're bad at governing? Stay with us. We'll put those questions and more to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of the Democratic Party's biggest stars. When she was first elected in 2018, she was very much an outsider, a social media phenomenon, often a critic of her party's programs and leaders. Now she's seen as more of an insider, a somewhat more senior figure, still a big star.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of the Democratic Party's biggest stars. When she was first elected in 2018, she was very much an outsider, a social media phenomenon, often a critic of her party's programs and leaders. Now she's seen as more of an insider, a somewhat more senior figure, still a big star.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of the Democratic Party's biggest stars. When she was first elected in 2018, she was very much an outsider, a social media phenomenon, often a critic of her party's programs and leaders. Now she's seen as more of an insider, a somewhat more senior figure, still a big star.

And so we brought her here to Studio One to ask what she thinks her party can do with its current dilemma. Democrats are out of power in Washington. They're watching President Trump enact his agenda. And they know the president has great appeal with a large part of their traditional base, the working class, people Ocasio-Cortez would feel that she would like to represent.

And so we brought her here to Studio One to ask what she thinks her party can do with its current dilemma. Democrats are out of power in Washington. They're watching President Trump enact his agenda. And they know the president has great appeal with a large part of their traditional base, the working class, people Ocasio-Cortez would feel that she would like to represent.

And so we brought her here to Studio One to ask what she thinks her party can do with its current dilemma. Democrats are out of power in Washington. They're watching President Trump enact his agenda. And they know the president has great appeal with a large part of their traditional base, the working class, people Ocasio-Cortez would feel that she would like to represent.

Here's some of our conversation. If you had to pick one word, what is a word that describes the state of your party right now?

Here's some of our conversation. If you had to pick one word, what is a word that describes the state of your party right now?

Here's some of our conversation. If you had to pick one word, what is a word that describes the state of your party right now?

It's not shocked or dismayed or anything like that at this moment?

It's not shocked or dismayed or anything like that at this moment?

It's not shocked or dismayed or anything like that at this moment?

Just before we talk, the situation evolved a bit more. House Republicans approved a budget plan with hardly a vote to spare. Ocasio-Cortez joined every Democrat in voting no.

Just before we talk, the situation evolved a bit more. House Republicans approved a budget plan with hardly a vote to spare. Ocasio-Cortez joined every Democrat in voting no.