AOC’s speech at the DNC shows just how much she’s changed [Video]

When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez burst onto the national political scene in 2018, it was clear that she little patience for politics as usual.

Ocasio-Cortez’s defeat of then-Rep. Joe Crowley in New York’s 14th congressional district Democratic primary that year signaled the rising influence of progressivism within the party, especially among working-class voters, along with millennials and Gen Zers.

Even before being sworn into office, Ocasio-Cortez joined climate change activists protesting outside of then-House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi’s Capitol Hill office in November 2018, an early sign that she would not be deferential to leadership on the key issue.

For many observers, all signs pointed to a perpetual ideological tussle between Ocasio-Cortez and top Democrats. But along the way, she’s broadened her appeal within the party.

And it was on full displayduring the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, when Ocasio-Cortez was not only given a prime speaking slot but received rave reviews by many for her defense of the party’s values …