Ocasio-Cortez pokes fun at Trump's suggestion to 'keep trying' to lead Democrats

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) poked fun at President-elect Trump's encouragement for her to "keep trying" after the congresswoman lost the vote to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee in the upcoming Congress.

"You know it’s bad when even Trump is feeling bad for me," Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a post on the social media platform X Wednesday.

Her response was to an earlier post from Trump on Truth Social, which encouraged her after the congresswoman lost the vote.

“Really too bad that AOC lost the Battle for the Leadership Seat in the Democrat Party. She should keep trying. Someday, she will be successful!” Trump wrote in his post.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who has a decade more experience on the panel than the New York representative, defeated Ocasio-Cortez in a vote Tuesday. Connolly’s win was expected Monday after the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, headed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), boosted the congressman and voted to recommend him for the role.

Connolly had also been endorsed by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who lobbied on his behalf.

Ocasio-Cortez, a vocal critic of Trump, had previously warned of the potential adverse impact of the 2024 election and highlighted freedoms that could be threatened by President-elect Trump’s presidential victory in a social media video. 

She had also made the case this year that it was time for Democrats to embrace a new generation of party leaders, which gained steam when President Biden withdrew from the presidential election this summer. However, Democrats have put senior members in charge of almost every House committee in the next Congress, and Connolly’s victory continued that trend.