<i>ASTEAD: On February 22nd, 2019,</i> <i>Senator Dianne Feinstein met with some young people in her office.</i> TEACHER: Hello, hi. - Hi, everybody. - A scientist had said that we have 12 years to turn this around. - Well, it’s not gonna get turned around in 10 years. - What we can do is put our... TEACHER: Senator, if this doesn’t get turned around in 10 years, you’re looking at the faces of the people who are gonna be living with these consequences and— - The government is supposed to be for the people and by the people and all for the people— DIANNE FEINSTEIN: You know what’s interesting about this group, is I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I know what I’m doing. You come in here and you say it has to be my way or the highway. I don’t respond to that. <i>FEMALE REPORTER: Senator Dianne Feinstein and a group of schoolchildren...</i> <i>MALE REPORTER: A heated discussion...</i> <i>COMMENTATOR: She’s about five minutes away from telling them to get out of her yard.</i> <i>ASTEAD: Overnight, an edited two-minute version</i> <i>of the interaction went viral.</i> <i>TEACHER: We’re asking you to be brave</i> and do this for us and for your grandchildren. - Well, you know better than I do, so I think one day, you should run for the senate. TEACHER: Great. I will. - And then you do it your way. <i>ASTEAD: This may look like a random group of school kids...</i> [girls shouting] <i>But they’re part of a network of politically-savvy young activists.</i> ACTIVIST: What do we want? ALL: Climate justice! ACTIVIST: When do we want it? ALL: Now! <i>ASTEAD: Who, in just a few short months,</i> <i>have forced the Democratic Party</i> <i>in a radical direction on a major issue.</i> - We need to be all-in to fight this climate crisis. All-in. <i>ASTEAD: This new, progressive movement</i> <i>is dividing the party</i> <i>between the old guard establishment...</i> - My goodness, such exuberance in the room. <i>ASTEAD: And an impatient new generation.</i> - We have to get to 100% renewable energy. <i>ASTEAD: Will these activists revitalize the Democratic Party,</i> <i>or will they blow it up...</i> - Scientists tell us we have 12 years before there is irreparable damage. <i>ASTEAD: Ensuring the reelection of a president</i> <i>who opposes almost everything they stand for?</i> <i>MATT: We’re dealing with Donald Trump,</i> <i>and if they’re wrong and we lose,</i> the downside risk is just catastrophe. <i>[dramatic musical flourish]</i> <i>[pensive music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>GPS: Turn right onto the ramp to Detroit.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>ASTEAD: As a National Politics Reporter,</i> <i>I’ve seen how Hillary Clinton’s loss to President Trump in 2016</i> <i>forced Democrats to reevaluate everything,</i> <i>including their core beliefs.</i> <i>But in this fraught moment,</i> <i>unexpected voices have emerged.</i> <i>[cheers and applause]</i> VARSHINI: My name is Varshini Prakash. I am one of the co-founders of and the executive director of Sunrise Movement. <i>ASTEAD: Over the last few months, the 2020 race</i> <i>has been disrupted and energized</i> <i>by a grassroots progressive movement.</i> VARSHINI: Sunrise is building a movement that’s led by young people to finally make climate action that is rooted in racial and economic justice. [cheers and applause] ASTEAD: Sunrise is really emblematic of fault lines and fights happening in the Democratic Party right now. VARSHINI: Six months ago, just a handful of politicians were talking about climate change. Now there are over 100 cosponsors on a Green New Deal resolution in the House and the Senate. [cheers and applause] That is because of what we did. <i>ASTEAD: Sunrise believes the Green New Deal will motivate voters</i> <i>who sat out the last election, especially young people.</i> VARSHINI: And that is why we are here today. [cheers and applause] <i>ASTEAD: But can Democrats really afford such idealism?</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> [trolley tires screeching] VARSHINI: So who’s ready to change the debate, huh? [cheers and applause] <i>ASTEAD: It’s April, and the Sunrise Movement</i> <i>just embarked on a nationwide tour with the goal of pressuring</i> <i>every Democratic presidential hopeful</i> <i>to endorse the Green New Deal,</i> <i>their ambitious and controversial plan to tackle climate change.</i> - It’s so good to see you. - Why not think of the opportunity of getting Joe Biden to sign on to the Green New Deal? For me, I’m not waiting. We need to do something now, and the Green New Deal gets us closer to that. <i>ASTEAD: They have thousands of members nationwide</i> <i>and a multi-million dollar budget</i> <i>backed by foundation grants and small donors.</i> <i>But a year ago,</i> <i>Sunrise was virtually unknown.</i> <i>The way that the conversation’s been forced</i> into the presidential debate— has that surprised you how quickly that’s happened? VARSHINI: I think we thought we would be in the place that we are right now, like, sometime next year, and we were, like— we were blown away by how quickly that happened. But in—in a big way, the reason why it’s happening is because we actually organized for it and because we planned for it, and it’s not an accident. <i>ASTEAD: So how did Sunrise become so influential so quickly?</i> <i>Some say it all began in October 2018</i> <i>when the UN published a shocking climate report.</i> - The new report out about climate change, and it is not positive. - Catastrophic climate change by the year 2030. - This is not something, folks, that we have to wait. <i>It’s happening right now.</i> <i>ASTEAD: Sunrise decided to act.</i> <i>[rousing music]</i> <i>They planned a sit-in to pressure Democratic house leader,</i> <i>Nancy Pelosi.</i> <i>Their goal?</i> <i>A wake-up call for the Democratic Party.</i> - We are building an army of young people to stop climate change. <i>ASTEAD: Their protest may have gone unnoticed</i> <i>if this hadn’t happened.</i> [cheers and applause] <i>♪ ♪</i> - This is about unity. This is about solidarity. And this is about the fact that we are going to make a better future for our kids. <i>FEMALE REPORTER: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</i> <i>and the Sunrise Movement protested...</i> <i>REPORTER: The well-oiled advocacy group</i> <i>with growing influence in Washington...</i> <i>MALE REPORTER: A new generation of activists</i> <i>are now forcing the issue in the halls of Congress.</i> <i>- We’ll talk about it like that ‘cause that’s what it is. [cheers and applause]</i> <i>I remember it was so wild</i> <i>when she, like, showed up.</i> I have never had an experience where I felt like a politician really had my back, like, in a deep way. <i>ASTEAD: Thanks to an appearance by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,</i> <i>the Sunrise movement and the idea of a Green New Deal</i> <i>was suddenly front and center.</i> ALL: [chanting] Green New Deal! <i>ASTEAD: But the Green New Deal resolution</i> <i>hadn’t even been written yet.</i> There’s, like, this tongue-in-cheek shock thing that people do. Like, “The Green New Deal was written by a black woman?” - And then I’m like, “Hello!” ASTEAD: And then—yeah, yeah. - “Surprise!” ASTEAD: Right, right. <i>Rhiana Gunn-Wright is the policy director for New Consensus,</i> <i>a think tank tapped to turn the Green New Deal</i> <i>into a tangible policy proposal.</i> <i>She’s 29.</i> Do you feel as if you’re too young? - No, I mean—young, no. - Too black? Sometimes. - Mm-hmm. - Too hood? Sometimes. Too young? Not really. - From what I hear from you all, if you all— if you get this wrong, you think we’re all gonna die. - If we don’t get this right, we will have a climate that is way less livable than we’ve had, and people will die, and the people that will die first are folks... like the folks in my family. And even if you will be the last person it will hurt, climate change— yes, it will kill us all, but it’ll kill some people first and I need you to give a fu— <i>ASTEAD: Rhiana and her team didn’t work on a normal climate proposal.</i> <i>Among the things its supporters call for:</i> <i>getting to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions</i> <i>within 10 years of the bill’s passage,</i> <i>upgrading all existing buildings</i> <i>to make them more energy efficient,</i> <i>and reimagining the economy to fix social inequities</i> <i>via universal health care, free college,</i> <i>and a federal jobs guarantee.</i> - In order for us to combat that threat, we must be as ambitious and innovative in our solution as possible. <i>ASTEAD: Almost as soon as it was introduced, the right seized on it.</i> - The Green New Deal, which somebody described as a high school term paper written by a poor student. <i>ASTEAD: Trump and Republicans have said the plan</i> <i>is prohibitively expensive and smacks of socialism.</i> - New deal that would eliminate much of the United States’ fossil fuel consumption. <i>ASTEAD: There have been some exaggerations.</i> - It would shut down a little thing called air travel. - American’s favorites like cheeseburgers and milkshake will become a thing of the past. <i>ASTEAD: Some moderate Democrats...</i> - What in the heck is this? <i>ASTEAD: Have said the Green New Deal is unachievable...</i> - I see it as aspirational. <i>REPORTER: “The green dream or whatever they call it...”</i> <i>ASTEAD: And a losing political strategy.</i> <i>RHIANA: I was expecting largely positive responses,</i> but instead what we got a lot more of was, “How dare you put these two on the same plate. I’d like to speak to your manager right now.” <i>ASTEAD: But despite the criticism,</i> <i>Sunrise’s so-called green dream</i> <i>exploded in the Democratic primary.</i> <i>REPORTER: Climate change is emerging as a top issue.</i> <i>ASTEAD: And one by one...</i> - I’m a fan of the Green New Deal. - I support the platform of the Green New Deal. <i>ASTEAD: They signed on.</i> <i>In April, Sunrise was still riding high.</i> [microwave beeps] ACTIVIST: Does anyone want more coffee? <i>ASTEAD: But someone very well-known was about to enter the race—</i> <i>the epitome of the Democratic establishment.</i> VARSHINI: I wonder what’s gonna happen with Biden. [laughs] ACTIVIST: It’ll be cool if he said, “I’m not running, but I think you should all look at the Green New Deal.” [laughter] - “This election is about the era of the Green New Deal, and I’m going all-in.” ALL: [shout excitedly] <i>ASTEAD: Former Vice President Joe Biden,</i> <i>the race’s expected frontrunner,</i> <i>could kill any chances of the Green New Deal becoming party policy.</i> - I guess we’ll know in a— in a week. <i>JOE BIDEN: We need a president who’s willing to lead...</i> [cheers and applause] Who will insist on dramatic change for the sake of our children. <i>REPORTER: Former Vice President Joe Biden</i> <i>is running for president.</i> ASTEAD: Joe Biden’s gotten in the race. <i>He’s leading in polling. He’s leading in fundraising.</i> <i>Speculation immediately began over Biden’s stance</i> <i>on the climate issue, and then...</i> <i>REPORTER: Biden’s campaign teasing a rollout on climate policy</i> <i>with a focus on finding middle ground.</i> <i>ASTEAD: A middle ground was clearly not the Green New Deal.</i> <i>FEMALE REPORTER: All sorts of people on the left said, “There is no middle ground.”</i> <i>MALE REPORTER: Bernie Sanders tweeted right away, “There is no ‘middle ground.’”</i> <i>ASTEAD: Sunrise went big.</i> - Welcome, everybody! <i>ASTEAD: To target Biden, they called on some powerful allies.</i> <i>VARSHINI: All right, say it with me now.</i> <i>ASTEAD: And the allies delivered. </i>ALL: Green New Deal! Green New Deal! [cheers and applause] - Republicans only call it socialism when we try to help the things we like. - So here’s what I say for wind and solar... - Give us some of that socialism that the oil and gas industry - Has had for a century. [cheers and applause] - You turned what? [laughs] <i>BERNIE SANDERS: A lot of people said, “Well, I’m— wanna combat climate change,</i> but you know, I don’t wanna take on the fossil fuel industry.” That is not the way it happens. <i>ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: And I will be damned</i> if the same politicians who refused to act then are gonna try to come back today and say, “We need a middle of the g— middle-of-the-road approach to save our lives.” That is too much for me. [cheers and applause] <i>[pensive music]</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> RHIANA: Young people are treated largely like, “It’s great for you to be activist, “but once it comes to policy, get back. The real adults will come into the room.” Well, we are the real adults. [cheers and applause] So... <i>♪ ♪</i> ALL: ♪ They try to stop us ♪ ♪ But we keep coming back ♪ ♪ They try to stop us ♪ ♪ But we keep coming ♪ ♪ Back ♪ <i>Whoo!</i> <i>FEMALE REPORTER: The senator and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</i> <i>were taking direct hits at Joe Biden.</i> <i>MALE REPORTER: This is about the divisions inside the Democratic Party.</i> <i>JOE: I’ve never been middle road on the environment.</i> She’ll find that nobody has been more consistent about taking on the environment and the green revolution than I have. <i>ASTEAD: But many voices within the party</i> <i>argue that a moderate candidate</i> <i>is the only way to reclaim the White House.</i> <i>SPEAKER: If we navigate by this Twitterverse,</i> we could end up out of step with our own coalition <i>and in fact, help to put Donald Trump back in the White House.</i> <i>ASTEAD: Among those voices,</i> <i>a Democratic organization</i> <i>called the Third Way.</i> - Thank you so much for your... <i>ASTEAD: What do you think is the biggest threat</i> to the Democratic Party? - Uh, well, obviously, uh, the reelection of Donald Trump would fundamentally change our country, so that is, by far, the biggest threat. ASTEAD: What is the biggest threat to making that possible? - [heavy sigh] Nominating someone who themself cannot beat him, or who is carrying ideas that make it very difficult to beat him. We’re already seeing, of course, the Republicans, you know, calling everybody a socialist. There— they would call Joe Biden or John Hickenlooper a socialist. It doesn’t matter. They’re gonna do that. But there is one pretty big faction in our party who believes leaning into that will, um, energize our base and mobilize voters, and that’s the way to win. And then there’s the other sectional party that I’m from that thinks that that is very dangerous, and is a—is a way to lose. We are dueling on the rim of a volcano, and I don’t think that we should be willing to gamble like that. <i>[cable car bell dings]</i> <i>ACTIVIST: Hi, welcome.</i> Follow the signs for Mojo Theatre. <i>ASTEAD: By the end of May,</i> <i>more than half of the Democratic presidential hopefuls</i> <i>had signed on to the Green New Deal,</i> <i>but Sunrise wanted them to go even further</i> <i>and pledge not to accept money from the fossil fuel industry.</i> FEMALE ACTIVIST: All right, welcome, everybody. Thank you so much for being here tonight. As you may know, this weekend is the California Democratic Convention, and not only are a lot of state officials gonna be here and party members gonna be here, but there’s also going to be a lot of presidential candidates here, so this is a huge moment for us. <i>ASTEAD: Sunrise trains its volunteers</i> <i>to use confrontational tactics meant to unnerve politicians.</i> - We’re gonna start off by, um, learning how to bird dog together. MALE ACTIVIST: Basically, in a nutshell, it is eliciting a public response through a strategic question or a series of actions. So it’s a tactic that we use to get a candidate to get on record saying something very directly. <i>ASTEAD: Bird dogging looks like this.</i> ACTIVIST: So we wanna know, do you stand with us, and if you do, will you prove it today by returning that dirty money and signing the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge? - We are returning that check from the lobbyists because... [cheers and applause] We declared at the outset that there would be no money accepted from lobbyists. ACTIVIST: When you have a video like that, it’s a really powerful tool because that then can move the rest of the field of candidates further to where we would like them to be on a given issue. - Wanna do one or two as a group? Yeah? - Hi. [overlapping chatter] - Are you going to sign the No Fossil Fuels pledge? - Staffers are here right now, so they’d be happy to take your information. - Will you take the No Fossil Fuel pledge and stop playing us? - And I actually have the pledge here for you to sign. [cheers and applause] ALL: Sign the pledge! Sign the pledge! Sign the pledge! Sign the pledge! Sign the pledge! - Have a seat, have a seat. Thank you. [cheers and applause] <i>GAVIN NEWSOM: Hello, California Democrats.</i> [cheers and applause] How you feeling? I like the energy. <i>[dramatic music]</i> <i>ASTEAD: The convention was an opportunity for Sunrise to exert its influence...</i> - Thank you, California! <i>ASTEAD: Using the pledge,</i> <i>they tested the candidates’ commitment</i> <i>to rejecting money from the oil and gas industry.</i> <i>REPORTER: Hidin’ Joe Biden skipping California’s Democratic Convention...</i> <i>FEMALE COMMENTATOR: Where is Joe?</i> <i>MALE COMMENTATOR: Where is Joe?</i> <i>ASTEAD: With the frontrunner absent, Sunrise set their sights</i> <i>on another high-profile candidate.</i> - We—we think Kamala Harris— Senator Kamala Harris is in that room, so we’re waiting for her to come outside. - How do you feel? - Yeah. - I think I just feel nervous. BOTH: [laugh] - You ready? - Yes. - Yeah. MUKTA: Okay, my name is Mukta. I’m 25 years old. [mutters] As a woman of color, if you are elected as president, I will, for the first time, have a president who looks like me. - Oh, my gosh, okay, okay. - Oh, oh. - Okay. - And climate debate? [indiscernible conversation] FAN: Do you like the shirt I made for you? - Hi, Senator. Hi, um, my name is Mukta. - I’m from—I’m— KAMALA HARRIS: Hi, guys. How are you? VOTER: Thank you so much for coming. KAMALA: Thank you for being so creative. VOTER: I—I love it. I love it. Ugh! Voting for you again! FAN: You’re a darn rock star, but I’m down. VOTER: Again. VOTER: Thank you for signing up. FAN: Hi, hi. MUKTA: Wait, actually— VOTER: Good to see you. - It’s good? SUPPORTER: Thank you. MUKTA: Senator Harris, um— KAMALA: Hi! Aww. [indiscernible conversation] - Okay. [phone rings] KAMALA: Hi. How’re you doing? You good? VOTER: Yes, I’m good. I’m good. These are for you. KAMALA: Bye, everyone. Thank you. Thank you. VOTER: Could I get a— FAN: You’re the best senator. <i>[quirky music]</i> ACTIVIST: [laughing] It’s okay. That was a lot. VOTER: Yeah, but she’s inside now, so you can... - It’s great. [laughs] - It is. It’s okay. <i>♪ ♪</i> - Sorry. ACTIVIST: [sighing] Oh, good. Lord, I could go for a coffee and a bagel. CROWD: 2020 Bernie. 2020 Bernie. <i>SUPPORTER: Tulsi all the way.</i> <i>ASTEAD: And then Senator Cory Booker offered to sign the pledge—</i> <i>no bird dog necessary.</i> CORY BOOKER: ‘Cause I wanna get it right down here really big. ACTIVIST: All right. CORY: All right. - Thank you, guys. MALE ACTIVIST: Awesome. FEMALE ACTIVIST: Thank you. - Thanks for your activism. Appreciate you. <i>ACTIVIST: We just got Cory Booker to sign the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge.</i> - [squeals] - Like, that just happened. We’re asking all the candidates to sign our No Fossil Fuel Money pledge, which means that you’re committing to moving away from fossil fuels and not taking money from the oil and gas packing industry. This is our line in the sand. This is what we need. - What we gotta do is not try and divide people and get them to sign or not. We need to bring people together. - But just consider signing ‘cause... JOHN HICKENLOOPER: All right. - As young people that are scared about climate change, this is what we’re asking for. - Take care. Thank you. AIDE: Thank you. [indiscernible conversation] - Oh, wow. That just happened. - Nice job. - Well, I’m gonna sign right on top. How does that sound? <i>ASTEAD: By the end of the convention,</i> <i>16 candidates have signed the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge</i> <i>including Senator Kamala Harris.</i> <i>This is what moving the party to the left looks like.</i> ACTIVIST: Nice. <i>[tense music]</i> <i>HENRY CUELLAR: I know some of the candidates. ASTEAD:: Mm-hmm.</i> <i>HENRY: They’re taking certain positions that I</i> feel that they normally would not take. They’re playing to primary voters. The primaries are important, but the real game that we have to look at is what happens in November. <i>ASTEAD: Representative Henry Cuellar is a centrist Democrat</i> <i>who is facing a primary challenge from progressive activists.</i> Are these type of activists pushing the party too far to the left? - Absolutely. New green deal— of course we wanna address climate change, but when you come in and you’re saying that in 10 years, you’re gonna get rid of fossil fuel, that’s gonna be extremely difficult. - The effort that’s going on in the party right now, what— what—what does it mean for the future of Democrats? - When there’s— trying to police your thoughts and say the only thoughts that should be available are the far left and that’s the only one that counts, you’re destroying the diversity of the Democratic Party. It reminds me of what President LBJ said many years ago when they had the same type of fights within the Democratic Party in Texas. He said, “What’s the difference between a liberal and a cannibal?” ASTEAD: What is it? - Cannibals don’t eat their own. ELIZABETH WARREN: Our federal government needs to go entirely carbon neutral. [cheers and applause] That’s what we need to do. <i>[pensive music]</i> <i>ASTEAD: By the beginning of June,</i> <i>16 candidates had endorsed the Green New Deal.</i> <i>Biden’s position remained unknown.</i> <i>Then he did something unexpected.</i> - Today, I’m announcing my plan for clean energy revolution. <i>REPORTER: Joe Biden’s releasing his climate plan today after weeks of promises.</i> <i>COMMENTATOR: His policy’s going even further than President Obama’s policy.</i> <i>ASTEAD: Today, Joe Biden announced his climate plan.</i> It embraces a Green New Deal framework. <i>This is a strategic move to the left.</i> <i>While Biden didn’t embrace all the Green New Deal social goals,</i> <i>a senior advisor for his campaign</i> <i>thanked Varshini and Sunrise for their advocacy.</i> <i>VARSHINI: How’s it going?</i> ASTEAD: That’s probably better question for you. - Oh, my God. I know. <i>I—I’ll admit I was, like, straight up in shock</i> <i>when I woke up this morning and I saw this, like,</i> <i>22-page document from Joe Biden.</i> <i>And we’re taking a victory lap for that</i> <i>because I don’t think that would’ve happened</i> if thousands of young people weren’t out, um, sounding the alarm about the crisis. <i>The question is, will he go far enough?</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>ASTEAD: Today we are on our way to</i> Jim Clyburn’s Fish Fry. <i>This is the real beginning.</i> <i>All the projections are over, and we’re actually starting</i> <i>to get to the meat of the primary.</i> <i>Best evidence the party’s moved to the left</i> <i>has been Biden’s climate plan.</i> I mean, he acknowledged the power of the left, acknowledged the movement, <i>but you have to wonder whether that is sustainable, right?</i> [cheers and applause] [laughter] ALL: [chanting] Bernie! <i>ASTEAD: It is interesting.</i> Like, he does not— he will not agree with the term that he’s the moderate. He won’t agree that the other people have moved too far to the left <i>partly because he wants to project unity.</i> I mean, his campaign is very centered on the idea of, “You just gotta replace Trump, and the world gets back to being better.” <i>That is a much different message than what the other campaigns are saying.</i> <i>[dramatic music]</i> VARSHINI: Wanna turn it on? <i>MALE HOST: Welcome to night two of the first Democratic debate</i> <i>in the 2020 race for president.</i> - Kay, here we go. <i>FEMALE HOST: Last night, we heard from 10 candidates,</i> <i>and now 10 more take the stage.</i> The candidates are in position, so let’s get started. <i>We’re gonna start today with Senator Sanders.</i> <i>Good evening to you. [tense music]</i> <i>VARSHINI: We helped shift the entire gravity</i> around which these presidential candidates and— and politics in America stands <i>with regards to the issue of climate justice.</i> - Hi, Senator Harris, um, addressing you first on this. Climate change is a major concern for voters in your state. <i>- Explain specifically what— KAMALA: Well, first of all,</i> I don’t even call it climate change. - It’s a climate crisis. <i>VARSHINI: Thank you.</i> <i>KAMALA: Existential threat to us as a species.</i> It is a critical issue. That is why I support a Green New Deal. - Hey! - Yes, yes! - Yes! ACTIVIST: Yes! <i>ASTEAD: It wasn’t just climate.</i> <i>♪ ♪</i> <i>The debates marked the party’s shift left on several issues.</i> - We have a new vision for America. - Medicare for all. - DACA, guns. - Raise your hand if you think it should be a civil offense rather than a crime to cross the border without documentation? Can we keep the hands up so we could see them? [cheers and applause] <i>VARSHINI: I don’t think we realized we would be in this place</i> six months ago or eight months or whenever it was, <i>but we’re here now, and the stakes</i> feel really, really high. [indiscernible conversation] FAN: Trump number one. SUPPORTER: America first. [wild cheering] - Whoo! [cheers and applause] <i>DONALD: A vote for any Democrat in 2020</i> is a vote for the rise of radical socialism. CROWD: [exclaiming, booing] ASTEAD: So you think the activists are playing into your hands? - Absolutely they are. It—yesterday, one of the activists said— I forget which one of them— “We will not be silenced.” And I looked at my phone and I said, “Thank goodness because you are the best advertisement for President Trump.” [cheers and applause] - Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez... CROWD: [booing] - Check out her scores, by the way, with her new Green New Deal. The Green New Deal— where did that come from? <i>ASTEAD: This is a critical moment in American history—</i> <i>one that resonates with moral urgency.</i> - That’s why I say, hey, if they don’t like it, let them leave. Let them leave. Let them leave! [cheers and applause] <i>ASTEAD: Democrats agree that whoever wins their internal war</i> <i>will have to face an even more daunting opponent—</i> <i>an incumbent backed by Republican Party</i> <i>that is energized and united.</i> ALL: Send her back! Send her back! Send her back! Send her back! Send her back! Send her back!