Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the Democratic Party needed a “new generation of leadership.”
Host Dana Bash said, “The Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who of course, you’re referring to the fact that he voted to keep the government running, and there’s a lot of anger about that, so you think that he should be primaried? Should Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is very much a part of the new democratic generation, should she challenge him in New York?”
Khanna said, “Well, that’s really her decision. I will say that there were a lot of people at the Democratic retreat who had encouraged her. I was just in New York, and I was surprised how much support there is.”
Bash said, “Are you one of those who encourage her?”
Khanna said, “I haven’t talked to her directly, but I think it’s for her. Here’s what I will say, the American people are fed up with the old guard. There needs to be a renewal. You know, in Silicon Valley, when a company isn’t doing well, you don’t keep the same team. I think there’s going to be a new generation in this country. They want to see a more compelling economic message. My biggest problem in disagreement with Senator Schumer in the New York Times, he said, you know, we we did everything right. We just have a PR problem. No, we didn’t do everything right. We didn’t get a living wage. For many decades this country has offshored jobs. There hasn’t been a compelling vision for manufacturing in the working class. We haven’t articulated a vision for Medicare for all. It’s not just a pr problem. People are upset with the status quo, and we need a new generation of leadership.”
Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNEN
