When Seth Meyers sat down with Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Thursday night, he expressed the big fear for Democratic voters now that the presidential contest is down to just two candidates.
“Everyone’s worried if one wins, will the supporters of the other sort of agree to support the Democratic nominee,” the Late Night host said. “Is it safe to assume that you will support Joe Biden if he is the nominee?”
Ocasio-Cortez, who has been one of Bernie Sanders’ most vital surrogates on the campaign trail, did not hedge or hesitate in her answer.
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“Yeah, you know, I’ve said throughout this entire process that what is so important is that we ultimately unite behind who that Democratic nominee is,” she said. “And I think it’s a two-way street. I’ve been concerned by some folks that say if Bernie’s the nominee, they won’t support him—and the other way around.”
“Right now, November, you know, this is more important than all of us,” she continued. “And we really need to make sure that we defeat Donald Trump at the polls—assuming, and knowing, how insane it’s going to get between now and then.”
Earlier in the interview, Ocasio-Cortez addressed Sanders’ underwhelming performance on Super Tuesday, especially among the type of younger voters that she has helped energize.
After noting the increase in youth turnout that helped Sanders in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, she acknowledged that they need to do better.
“It is going to be now and in November, I believe, turnout of young people that will have a huge determination in our future as a country,” she said. “And this is an enormous responsibility. And we’ve got to really, really turn up or else—you get what you fight for. And you get what you vote for. And I think it’s so incredibly important that we fight for a future that will work for us.”
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