During Tuesday’s debate, Sen. Bernie Sanders responded to a question about his health by teasing an upcoming rally in Queens with a “special guest.” The news soon got out: That special guest will be Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, endorsing Sanders’ presidential run. AOC will be joined in endorsing Sanders by Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, two of her fellow squad members.
“Bernie is leading a working class movement to defeat Donald Trump that transcends generation, ethnicity, and geography,” Omar said in a statement.
Ocasio-Cortez volunteered for Sanders in 2016, effectively her route into electoral politics. Hers is one of the most coveted endorsements in the Democratic primary, though it was likely a two-person race for that endorsement between Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, both of whom Ocasio-Cortez praised earlier in the race.