AOC defends Bernie Sanders over online abuse by ‘Bernie bros’

Congresswoman backs up 2020 candidate on ‘The View’

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has defended Bernie Sanders against claims the 2020 presidential candidate hasn’t done enough to combat online abuse by so-called “Bernie bros”.

The congresswoman appeared on The View on Wednesday morning to speak of her support for Mr Sanders, who’s one of eight Democrats still in the running for the party’s nomination.

Megan McCain, one of the four presenters on The View, brought up the issue of “Bernie bros”, telling Ms Ocasio-Cortez she doesn’t believe Mr Sanders has taken enough action to stop them.

“Bernie bros”, committed supporters of Mr Sanders, have been criticised for their online behaviour, which has included hostility and attacks against those who don’t back Mr Sanders.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez, who has endorsed Mr Sanders in the 2020 race, pointed to issues in “internet culture” as a whole.

“I think internet culture can often be very toxic, and whether we are cognisant of it or not, it nearly always concentrate on women, people of colour, queer people,” she said.

“I think to a certain extent we have to always reject hate, reject vitriol and denounce that kind of behaviour.”

She broached the issue of anonymous account, telling McCain, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin that vague Twitter handles with little information about the account user can make things “difficult to control”.

“I think he works very hard,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez added of Mr Sanders.

Mr Sanders condemned aggressive behaviour in a CNN town hall in Nevada on Tuesday.

“I will condemn absolutely anybody, including my campaign or any other campaign, that makes vicious personal attacks against people,” he said. “...I don’t tolerate ugly attacks against anybody.”