New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made an appearance at the first day of the convention, championing for the rights of middle class familia and making the case to immigrant families to cast their ballots for Vice President Kamala Harris in November.
Ocasio-Cortez was met with a roaring applause and a standing ovation at the United Center, with Delegates from the 50 states loudly chanting "AOC." During her remarks, the Democratic star celebrated the Harris-Walz ticket.
"In Kamala Harris, we have the chance to elect a president who is for the middle class because she is from the middle class," Ocasio-Cortez said.
The Democratic Representative began her speech by recounting how she decided to get into politics when her father unexpectedly died of cancer and as a bartender she in New York was struggling to make ends meet.
She also gave a nod to immigrant families, as well as other Americans currently struggling with the high cost of living around the country, arguing that Harris should be their ideal candidate due to, among other things, her economic policies.
"If you are an immigrant family, just starting your American story, Kamala is for you," she said enthusiastically.
She also challenged a common conservative attack to "go back to bartending," which the congresswoman said she would be glad to do because "there's nothing wrong with working for a living."
The Democrat-darling is one of the most prominent members of the "Squad," a group of progressive women who got elected in the middle of former President Donald Trump's presidency. Other household names include Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
The young Latina has recently come into the spotlight for endorsing President Joe Biden as other members of their party were calling for him to step down of the presidential ticket ahead of the November elections. However, as Vice President Harris replaces Biden and the Democrats rally behind her, Ocasio-Cortez seems as enthusiastic as ever to also get behind her.
"She's as committed to our reproductive and civil rights as she is to taking on coorporate greed," Ocasio-Cortez said during her speech.
The Representative also praised Harris for "working tirelessly to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza," a topic the Convention is trying to stir away from.
Like others on the left, as well as the "Squad", the New Yorker has been critical of Israel's conduct in Gaza. However, she has been somewhat less willing than her fellow members on the left to frontally attack the Biden administration on the topic.
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