Far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker expressed his support for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., as his choice for the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential candidate. He believes she could energize the party’s base and unite infrequent voters into a cohesive group.
During an interview with Mehdi Hasan, Piker was asked to choose between Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. He quickly chose the New York congresswoman. ‘AOC. It’s not even a question,’ Piker stated.
The decision concluded a rapid-fire selection process that began with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Other names included former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
Piker noted that Ocasio-Cortez stood out from the other contenders. ‘AOC is, out of all of the people that you mentioned,’ Piker said. ‘AOC is the only one that I would like.’
He acknowledged potential challenges related to her race and gender but dismissed the notion that they would be insurmountable. ‘These are hurdles, yes,’ Piker said. ‘But these are hurdles that one can clear.’ Ocasio-Cortez, he argued, could connect with voters who typically abstain from elections by campaigning with sincerity.
‘As long as you have moral conviction, as long as you can excite the base, as long as you can actually create a unique coalition and activate low-propensity voters,’ Piker explained. ‘Which I think AOC has the capacity to do, it would be a fantastic left candidate.’
Piker praised Ocasio-Cortez for her ability to galvanize the Democratic base, likening her to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who boosted democratic socialism within the party. ‘It would be a fantastic left candidate, even better than Bernie in many ways,’ he mentioned.
Nevertheless, Piker critiqued Ocasio-Cortez’s political style. He appreciated her social media prowess and commitment to progressive policies but felt she appeared overly focused on image. ‘The way she carries herself, I think, is a little bit too, like, optics-driven, too liberal and too optics-driven,’ Piker said. ‘I think she doesn’t grasp the populist anger in her communication.’
Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez for comment but did not immediately receive a response. She has not announced a 2028 presidential campaign, having previously stated in May that she was undecided. Her nationwide presence has increased through endorsements and campaign appearances, such as a recent visit to support Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.