Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seems to be following the same playbook used by Joe Biden. The progressive "Squad" member is now emerging in early 2028 primary polls.
She appears alongside names like Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, and Pete Buttigieg as a presidential contender. Some Democrats even see her as a primary threat to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Ocasio-Cortez has kept a relatively low profile despite the growing buzz. Axios recently criticized her hide-and-seek strategy with the press.
The outlet noted she has done only a fraction of the interviews other potential 2028 candidates have completed this year. Her last national interview was with NPR back on February 28.
She previously spoke with Jake Tapper in January and Don Lemon on his YouTube show. Ocasio-Cortez has only completed two national interviews since her widely mocked appearance at the Munich Security Conference.
She has recently focused on local New York stations and far-left podcasts. She also sat down with former Obama advisor David Axelrod on Friday to discuss her political future.
Ocasio-Cortez declined to be interviewed by Axios for their report on her strategy. Her chief of staff, Mike Casca, defended her lack of national media appearances.
"She takes questions multiple times a day from the press," Casca told the outlet. "And anyone with a press credential is able to find her in the Capitol and ask her questions," he added.
That specific talking point strongly resembles the defense used by the Biden White House. Former President Joe Biden was frequently criticized for his lack of availability to the press.
Biden often went several weeks without giving formal interviews or press conferences. He granted only seven sit-down interviews with journalists during the 2022 calendar year.
Former press secretaries Jen Psaki and Karine Jean-Pierre both offered staunch defenses of Biden. They insisted he was accessible despite the lack of formal settings.
"The president takes questions several times a week," Psaki said in 2021. "He takes questions nearly every time he is out speaking to the American people," she claimed.
Karine Jean-Pierre echoed those sentiments in 2023. "It is also unprecedented that a president takes as many shouted questions as this president has," she stated.
Critics often noted that shouted questions do not allow for the depth of a sit-down interview. There is typically no room for journalists to ask important follow-up questions.
Ocasio-Cortez continues to be a prolific user of social media while avoiding the national press. She frequently talks directly to her millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram.
The office of Representative Ocasio-Cortez did not address questions regarding her media strategy. The "Squad" member seems content to bypass traditional journalists for now.