Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may be a symbol of the socialist left to most Americans, but apparently she is not radical enough for some of the revolutionaries in her own political neighborhood.

A Maoist faction within the Democratic Socialists of America is rejecting her as presidential speculation builds around 2028.

The DSA Liberation Caucus accused the New York Democrat of a “continued retreat from socialist politics” and rejected efforts to promote her as a future presidential standard bearer.

For ordinary voters, the spectacle amounts to socialists arguing that one of Congress's loudest progressives has become suspiciously moderate.

Gold. Upgraded. Buy real gold from $1. Store it in America. Sell it with one click.

The caucus also branded Ocasio-Cortez an “opportunist” over her positions involving Israel and the bitter dispute surrounding Zionism.

Her willingness to support Israel's right to exist and access defensive systems appears to have crossed a revolutionary red line.

“In short, it was determined that she had failed to meet conditions concerning Palestine solidarity,” the statement said.

The complaint followed the withdrawal of a conditional endorsement from the DSA in 2024, exposing a widening divide between Ocasio Cortez and activists demanding ideological obedience.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

The National Political Committee also objected to Ocasio-Cortez hosting a public panel with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which the faction described as a Zionist organization.

She further angered the group by joining Democrats in supporting Israel's defensive capabilities after voting against supplemental weapons funding.

The socialist broadside was not limited to foreign policy.

The Liberation Caucus also attacked Ocasio-Cortez for retreating from the movement to defund police and for poking fun at the excesses of progressive politics during 2020.

During an ABC interview, Ocasio-Cortez referred to that period as “Woke 1” and joked that it was “crazyyyyy.”

That attempt at political repositioning did not impress activists who still regard the unrest and anti police movement of 2020 as a historic uprising.

The statement accused her of using abolitionist language when it helped launch her congressional career, then abandoning it once it became politically inconvenient.

“This is the action of an opportunist dilettante, devoid of any principles whatsoever, not a socialist,” the faction declared.

The dispute arrives as the DSA promotes a program called “Workers Deserve More,” which seeks the complete elimination of the Senate, the presidency, and the Supreme Court.

Candidates must accept and promote that agenda to secure a formal endorsement, which is quite a litmus test even by the modern left's increasingly theatrical standards.

“This is why the current rumblings for and prospects of an AOC presidential campaign should be met with a clear answer from the socialist left: No,” the group said. It added, “We will not endorse or give succor to a campaign to put a social democrat at the head of an empire, where she will make even more capitulations to the imperialists, and drag our organization into antagonistic contradiction after antagonistic contradiction.”

WATCH:

While the national organization has refused to endorse Ocasio-Cortez, its New York City chapter has repeatedly backed her campaigns.

The Liberation Caucus claims that the city chapter has even hinted at splitting from the broader organization over disputes that include support for the congresswoman.

“This is not the behavior of socialist cadres,” the caucus said.

Such language offers a revealing glimpse into a movement where congressional Democrats can be condemned as ideological traitors for failing to march in perfect formation with Maoist activists.

Ocasio-Cortez has not announced a campaign for president or Senate in 2028.

Still, persistent speculation has placed her near the front of the emerging Democratic field, with some surveys identifying her as a leading choice among the party's voters.

The Liberation Caucus was formed in 2025 and openly identifies itself as a Marxist, Leninist and Maoist faction inside the DSA.

Its website includes material defending Maoism and characterizes concerns about the catastrophic starvation and disaster associated with Mao Zedong's rule as a misconception.

That background makes the attack especially striking.

Ocasio-Cortez has spent years pushing Washington leftward, yet a faction defending Mao now views her as compromised, insufficiently committed and too willing to make peace with political reality.

Neither the Liberation Caucus nor Ocasio-Cortez's office responded to requests for comment.

For Democrats hoping to present a reasonable face before 2028, the family feud provides another reminder that the socialist base is still demanding more radicalism, not less.

Gold is the oldest answer. SoundMoney makes owning it as easy as the apps you already use.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.