Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said during an interview with Axios that if Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins the presidential election next month, he should fill his cabinet with progressive Democrats and enact the policies that the far-left wing of the party wants.
“A president is only as successful as his collaboration is with Congress and we will have a cohort of progressives that are very clear about their objectives for wanting the implementation of, you know, Medicare For All and a Green New Deal and raising the minimum wage and not allowing for fracking,” Omar said.
Omar said that Biden should fill “all of the cabinet positions” with progressive Democrats and claimed that the American people really want the policies espoused by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
“We know at every single exit poll, you know, Medicare For All was 60%, 70%, 80% in some places throughout the primary,” she claimed. “And, you know, those were not only the places where Bernie was leading, they were places where Joe was leading, and so that should signal to Joe Biden that these people trusted me to lead, but these were the policies that they want me to lead on and, you know, act accordingly.”
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TRANSCRIPT:
Alexi McCammond: There have been a number of down ballot Dems who are progressive, supported by the Justice Democrats, won their primaries, likely going to congress. How does that make you rethink kind of the power that you’ll have with the Biden administration if they win to enact on these things?
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN): You know a president is only as successful as his collaboration is with Congress and we will have a cohort of progressives that are very clear about their objectives for wanting the implementation of, you know, Medicare For All and a Green New Deal and raising the minimum wage and not allowing for fracking.
McCammond: If Biden’s elected, are there any positions that you think a progressive Democrat should absolutely be in this spot in abide administration?
Omar: I would say all of the cabinet positions should be filmed by progressive Democrats. We know that the policies we advocate for are most popular with the the American people.
McCammond: If that’s the case, why do you think that Joe Biden’s the nominee if he doesn’t support all these policies?
Omar: I think sometimes there’s a disconnect really in the person that you might believe should lead and the policies that you might believe should be implemented. We know at every single exit poll, you know, Medicare For All was 60%, 70%, 80% in some places throughout the primary. And, you know, those were not only the places where Bernie was leading, they were places where Joe was leading, and so that should signal to Joe Biden that these people trusted me to lead, but these were the policies that they want me to lead on and, you know, act accordingly.
McCammond: One attack line that Republicans, including the president and the vice president have consistently used, is that Biden is and this is a quote, ‘a Trojan Horse of the radical Left.’ And the progressive leaders will actually be calling the shots. What do you think when you hear them say that?
Omar: I know that for them we’ve become sort of the boogeyman of the election but it’s because of two things: one it’s because we are not backing down in holding this administration and the Republicans accountable and calling their hypocrisy out but we also resonate with the challenges that everyday Americans are having.