‘Finish This Party Off’: Former Clinton Pollster Warns AOC Challenging Chuck Schumer Could Be Final Blow For Democrats

Former Clinton pollster Mark Penn warned Thursday that Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenging Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer in 2028 could deal a devastating blow to the Democratic Party.

The Democratic Party’s favorability plunged to a record low of 29%, according to a Sunday CNN/SSRS poll conducted March 6-9. Penn, on “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” said the poll indicates that the Democratic Party has retained its “left base” while “moderates” are fleeing in droves. (RELATED: ‘Bunch Of Losers’: Dems’ Emerging 2028 Field May Not Bode Well For Liberals)

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“I don’t think she’s going to challenge Schumer, but if she does, I mean, already the Democratic ratings are down to 29%. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Penn said. “That means the left base is with the Democratic Party and the moderates are all leaving the party. So AOC taking off Schumer, wow, that could finish this party off. This could put it into the wilderness the way the Labour Party was for a decade.”

Schumer, who is also Senate minority leader, has faced significant backlash from within his own party over his decision to help pass a GOP-backed government funding bill to prevent a partial shutdown.

“Schumer has been in politics for a long time, and I would hope that this is his final term, and he opens it up for someone new,” Ocasio-Cortez said afterward.

Democrat California Rep. Ro Khanna publicly called for Ocasio-Cortez to challenge Schumer in the 2028 New York Senate primary if he runs for reelection, NBC News reported. Moreover, three House Democrats told the outlet that Ocasio-Cortez’s colleagues privately urged her to run against Schumer at a recent Democratic Party retreat.

Democratic strategist James Carville also predicted Tuesday there could be an “uprising within the Democratic Party” in the coming months if Schumer’s and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ “plan” does not yield results.

“I think he and Leader Jeffries do have a plan in place. And look, if this is not evident here in the next three or four months, then there will be a uprising within the Democratic Party,” Carville said. “But I think we should give them a chance. Let’s see what their plan and their strategy is.”

Schumer said on “Morning Joe” Wednesday that his party’s “job” is to lower Trump’s popularity, and that he and Jeffries are aligned on an attack strategy.

“We are fighting on all of the fronts to go after Trump, not have a circular firing squad, which Democrats tend to do, particularly when there’s such an enemy as Trump, so that the basic premise that we are going after him on — and Hakeem and I are working on this very closely together … is that Trump is taking things away from the middle class, from you, to pay for tax cuts for the rich,” Schumer said.

Trump’s approval rating matches its highest point of both of his terms at 47%, according to an NBC News poll published on Sunday.

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