DSA’s Maoist faction says AOC too Zionist to be president

The Democratic Socialists of America's (DSA) Liberation Caucus, a Maoist faction, stated on Tuesday that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is too Zionist and not socialist enough to be a presidential candidate. The caucus, formed in 2025, issued a statement rejecting any effort to present her as a future presidential standard-bearer for the DSA or the broader socialist movement, citing her "consistent pattern of opportunism." They highlighted the DSA National Political Committee's 2024 withdrawal of endorsement due to her failure to meet "Palestine solidarity" conditions, including a lack of "firm anti-Zionism" and votes supporting Israel's right to exist and Iron Dome funding. The Liberation Caucus concluded that any potential presidential run by Ocasio-Cortez "should be met with a clear answer from the socialist left: No."