Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday on ABC’s “The View” that in light of the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, it was a matter of life and death that Democratic voters rally around the presumptive nominee former Vice President Joe Biden.

Co-host Whoopi Goldberg said, “So last week, Bernie, you know, suspended his campaign, and endorsed Joe Biden. Now, you know, are you going to be able to do the same thing, given the fact that everyone’s initial thought is to get you-know-who out of the White House and get some semblance of, you know, intelligence back in. Do you think it’s time to have a conversation with Joe?”

Ocasio-Cortez said, “Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, I think right now just the stakes are too high when it comes to another four years of Trump. My community especially has been so impacted, and it’s, you know, for a lot of communities, this is an issue of life and death. We have had kids in cages. We have had a pandemic response that happened way too late that has cost us lives. We have people that don’t have access to critical care that they need. I think it’s really important that we rally behind our Democratic nominee in November.”

Co-host Joy Behar said, “So, congresswoman, some progressives are suggesting that with Bernie out of the race, they’ll vote third party. That would be a catastrophe, in my opinion. What do you say to those people?”

Ocasio-Cortez said, “I think what’s really important is that we do realize that at the end of the day, one of these two candidates are going to be elected president of the United States. It’s either going to be Joe Biden, or it’s going to be Donald Trump. I think it’s important to, you know, communicate some empathy. I know for a lot of people this was not the outcome that they may have wanted, and this was not the choice that they wanted to make, but ultimately, you know, when it comes to those two, I don’t think it’s particularly close in terms of what communities will be made more vulnerable.”

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