Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rejects criticism of her convention speech backing Bernie Sanders

Progressive House represenative says she has been misrepresented as turning her back on Joe Biden

Progressive Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has dismissed criticisms that she turned her back on Joe Biden in her speech at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday.

The congresswoman’s speech saw her second Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination – part of the formal process even at a convention where the nomination is a foregone conclusion.

She did so without mentioning the former vice president, instead hailing a “mass people’s movement” of progressives working to secure “social, economic and human rights”.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed Mr Biden already, and now serves on his campaign’s climate policy panel. However, her pre-recorded remarks were taken by some as an attack on Mr Biden, prompting her to fire back at what she called “misleading” representations.

She was particularly furious at NBC News over a tweet that read: “In one of the shortest speeches of the DNC, Rep Ocasio-Cortez did not endorse Joe Biden” – as many readers apparently interpreted this to mean she had rejected Mr Biden’s candidacy.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez told NBC in a tweet of her own that the headline “sparked an enormous amount of hatred & vitriol”.

“This is completely unacceptable, disappointing, and appalling,” the congresswoman wrote.

“The DNC shared the procedural purpose of my remarks to media WELL in advance. @NBC knew what was going to happen & that it was routine. How does a headline that malicious & misleading happen w/ that prior knowledge?”

NBC has deleted the original tweet and issued a clarification explaining that Ms Ocasio-Cortez has previously endorsed Mr Biden.

However, the congresswoman responded with further criticism, pointing out that it took the network several hours to take the tweet down and demanding to know how the network will fix the “incredible amount of damage and misinformation” for which she holds it responsible.

To the voting public, Ms Ocasio-Cortez wrote: "If you were confused, no worries! Convention rules require roll call & nominations for every candidate that passes the delegate threshold.

"I extend my deepest congratulations to [Joe Biden] - let's go win in November."

It was in this context that Ms Ocasio-Cortez backed Mr Sanders – acknowledging that he won more than a thousand delegates and garnered the support of millions of voters without in fact attacking or jeopardising Mr Biden’s nomination.

Mr Sanders himself was nominated by Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard at the Democratic convention in 2016, where many of his supporters vocally protested Hillary Clinton’s candidacy.

The same level of rancour is not on display this year, with Mr Sanders endorsing Mr Biden more forcefully than he did Ms Clinton and most progressives clearly united around the common goal of defeating Donald Trump.