Just as the Democratic presidential primary is heating up, the controversial Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told the press on Wednesday she was jumping right in the middle of the fight.
And she’s not alone.
Joined by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Ocasio-Cortez’ “squad” are expected to make a surprising announcement about their role in the primary on Saturday.
They’re expected to formally endorse Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, I-V.T., for president at a rally over the weekend.
The surpising endorsements are a major boon for the 78-year-old Vermont senator, who has faced questions over his health since suffering a heart attack two weeks ago.
Sanders was rushed to the hospital for emergency heart surgery on Oct. 1. Since then, he has slipped to third in most national polls. The Vermont socialist trails both former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
The 30-year-old Ocasio-Cortez and 38-year-old Omar are stars of the far-left Democratic Socialists and frequent targets of President Donald Trump, which means their endorsements could make a significant difference in the 2020 primary.
Warren is targeting the same progressive voter bloc as Sanders. She’s surged in polls in recent weeks, and is considered by many to be the new front-runner.
Sanders’ deputy communications director Sarah Ford says Ocasio-Cortez will appear with the senator at a rally in her home district in New York this weekend.
Sanders hinted at her backing during Tuesday’s Democratic debate in response to a question about his age, saying his skeptics should attend his Saturday rally featuring a “surprise guest.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this article