Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz admires Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s style, even if the two young, fresh-faced members of congress probably disagree on nearly every policy issue.
In an interview with Politico published Wednesday, Gaetz said that he wants to be the “conservative AOC,” but there’s one problem.
“I can’t dance for S***,” Gaetz said, referring to a viral video of a college-aged Ocasio-Cortez busting a move. (RELATED: The Media Without Evidence, Claims Conservatives Furious Over Ocasio-Cortez Dancing Video)
Democratic Congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at a really against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh outside an expected speech by U.S. Representative Jeff Flake (R-AZ) in Boston, U.S., October 1, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder.
The 36-year-old Florida congressman was first elected in 2016 and has already established himself as a conservative firebrand and staunch ally of President Donald Trump.
Gaetz’s comments are included in a profile featuring conservatives who disagree with Ocasio-Cortez on policy, but admire her political spirit.
“AOC has what I call ‘gameness’ or competitive heart,” former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon told Politico. “The combination of grit, determination, fighting spirit that you can’t coach. You either have it or you don’t, and she has it big league.”
This isn’t the first example of conservatives expressing fondness for Ocasio-Cortez despite apparent ideological differences. After Amazon landed a deal with the state of New York last year to move its new headquarters there in exchange for billions in subsidies and tax breaks, Ocasio-Cortez stood up to Democrats in her home state who approved the deal, something that subsequently drew praise in conservative circles.
“I hate to admit but (Ocasio-Cortez) has a very good point,” Fox News’ host and The Daily Caller founder Tucker Carlson said at the time. “That’s the only time I’ve agreed with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The richest man in the world just got $2 billion in taxpayer subsidies. How does that work?”