TOPLINE
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) will have just one minute to speak at the Democratic National Convention next week. Business Insider first reported Wednesday, following complaints the party was out of contact with young voters.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) Campaigns on June 23, 2020 in the Bronx District of New York … [+]
KEY FACTS
The DNC will film a pre-recorded message of 60 seconds by AOC in its house.
The convention is being held free of coronavirus, and speakers include former First Lady Michelle Obama, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, who will deliver a live speech on Thursday, according to Business Insider.
Other progressive leaders like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are also slated to speak.
It is unclear if other speakers are subject to the same time limits, and the DNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes.
AOC did not directly criticize the party, tweeted a poem by Dr. Benjamin E. Mays in response: ‘I only had a minute / sixty seconds in / forced myself, I did not choose it / But I know I have to use it,’ reads the poem.
Chief critic
Some expelled the Democratic Party because they were out of touch with young voters, especially considering the national profile of AOC.
Key background
In addition to the AOC minute, the DNC speaker lineup has been heavily pledged by left-leaning activists for the inclusion of former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, while not giving enough time to Latino, progressive en LGBT politicians. Former candidate Andrew Yang said he expected to speak out and was disappointed that he was not elected.
