Conservative commentator and Fox News contributor Hugh Hewitt offered unexpected praise for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Wednesday, arguing that the progressive lawmaker showed sound political judgment by declining to endorse embattled Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner.
Speaking with America Reports anchor John Roberts on Fox News, Hewitt contrasted Ocasio-Cortez’s approach with that of other prominent Democrats who backed Platner before allegations surrounding the candidate intensified.
According to Hewitt, Democrats who publicly supported Platner will face lasting political consequences because of their association with his campaign.
“Democrats who supported the disgraced candidate will wear the Platner tattoo for the rest of their lives in politics, like he’s going to wear the reputation for the Nazi tattoo,” Hewitt said during the interview.
While criticizing those Democrats, Hewitt singled out one notable exception.
“There was one Democrat who did not endorse Graham Platner: AOC,” he said.
The Fox News contributor argued that Ocasio-Cortez recognized warning signs surrounding Platner’s candidacy and deliberately chose to keep her distance.
“She kind of read the room,” Hewitt said. “She saw the warning signs, and she stayed away. She didn’t want anything to do with this guy.”
Despite often disagreeing with the New York congresswoman politically, Hewitt said he believed she demonstrated stronger political instincts than many veteran Democrats.
“So my hat is off,” he continued. “Again, she’s got sparkle, and she’s got some political instincts that the older ones don’t have.”
Hewitt then turned his attention to other Democratic figures whom he said embraced Platner’s candidacy.
“But [New York City] Mayor Mamdani and [Elizabeth] Warren and Bernie [Sanders], they all fell for it,” Hewitt said. “They all fell for the consultant from New York riding in from Dodge and saying, ‘This is a guy we can turn into a candidate.’”
Hewitt also argued that there are political and financial interests invested in keeping Platner’s campaign alive despite the controversy surrounding him.
“There are a lot of people who make money if he stays in the race,” he said.
Even so, Hewitt painted a bleak picture of what he believes lies ahead for the Democratic Senate candidate.
“Graham Platner has got nothing ahead of him except pain and remorse and, thus, he stays in and fights,” Hewitt concluded. “I don’t think it’s a done deal.”
While Hewitt credited Ocasio-Cortez for refusing to endorse Platner, she has not completely avoided commenting on the race.
The New York Democrat never issued a formal endorsement of Platner. In an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju in June, she acknowledged the allegations surrounding the candidate while saying the decision ultimately belonged to Maine voters.
“Obviously, there’s a lot in that behavior that’s really challenging — it’s hard to stomach,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “But at the end of the day, I think it’s a choice.”
She appeared to be referring to the decision voters would face at the ballot box.
“If the choice on the ballot is between that and a Senator who’s voted to take healthcare away from millions of Americans, that’s the situation that we have to weigh,” she added.
At the time Ocasio-Cortez made those remarks, the allegations against Platner included claims that he had sent suggestive text messages to other women while he was married. The New York Times had also published accounts from three women who dated Platner, each describing his behavior as “toxic.”
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