The U.S. needs to embrace the radical, far-left agenda touted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) said in response to the hesitancy Joe Biden (D) expressed during a CNN interview aired Friday.

Sanders, a self-described socialist, heaped praise on Ocasio-Cortez’s ideals, adding that they – free college, the Green New Deal, and Medicare for All – make up the “agenda America needs.”

“I’m proud to be working with @AOC and so many other Democrats to pass Medicare for All, debt free college and a Green New Deal. This is the agenda America needs — and that will energize voters to defeat Donald Trump,” Sanders tweeted Friday.

I’m proud to be working with @AOC and so many other Democrats to pass Medicare for All, debt free college and a Green New Deal. This is the agenda America needs — and that will energize voters to defeat Donald Trump. https://t.co/MPS9fDsuCH — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 5, 2019

During a CNN interview aired Friday, Biden praised Ocasio-Cortez, calling her a “brilliant, bright” woman but questioned whether someone so far left could come out victorious in a general election matchup against President Trump.

“That’s what this election is about. I’m happy to debate that issue and all those issues with my friends because guess what, look who won the races. Look who won last time out,” Biden said of the 2018 midterm elections.

“By the way, I think Ocasio-Cortez is a brilliant, bright woman, but she won a primary,” Biden continued. “In the general election fights, who won? Mainstream Democrats who are very progressive on social issues and very strong on education and healthcare.”

Biden: “I think Ocasio-Cortez is a brilliant, bright woman, but she won a primary. In the general election fights, who won? Mainstream Democrats who are very progressive on social issues, and very strong on education, health care.” https://t.co/F8L4wlRkWN pic.twitter.com/sTO5RXCj34 — CNN (@CNN) July 5, 2019

Although Biden has attempted to paint himself as a moderate, he still holds what many would consider extremely far-left positions.

As Breitbart News reported:

He supports government gun confiscation and explained his position during the first debate: “Folks, look, and I would buy back [assault] weapons. We already started talking about that. We tried to get it done. I think it can be done. And it should be demanded that we do it. And that’s a good expenditure of money.” He also flip-flopped on the Hyde Amendment and now supports the use of federal dollars for abortion procedures.

The current Real Clear Politics average shows Sanders trailing Biden by 12 percentage points –14 percent to Biden’s 26 percent. Sanders – according to the average – is in third place, behind Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), who leads by 1.2 percent.