Ocasio-Cortez: Walz is driving Trump and Vance 'nuts'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said in an interview broadcast early Friday that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), the Democratic nominee for vice president, is driving former President Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), “nuts.”

“I think that Trump and Vance, they think they have some kind of like, monopoly over masculinity,” Ocasio-Cortez told comedian Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show.”

“And Walz has kinda shown up — he’s a football coach, he was the head of the gay-straight alliance as the football coach,” she added. “And he’s like, ‘Actually, this stuff is weird, and why are you acting like that?’ And I think it’s driving 'em nuts, because he’s showing another way to be an upright man in America.”

Walz has labeled Trump and Vance as “weird,” which has caught on among his fellow Democrats. Both the former president and his running mate have pushed back against the characterization.

“This whack job. You know, he said we’re 'weird.' That JD and I are 'weird.' I think we’re extremely normal people. Like you,” Trump said when talking about Walz at a factory earlier this week. “He’s weird. Did you ever see him go on the stage and go like crazy? Between his movement and her laugh, there’s a lot of craziness. I’d say a step further than 'weird.' 'Weird' is a nice word by comparison.”

Vice President Harris and Walz got their moments in the spotlight this week at the Democratic National Convention, speaking to an excited crowd of party faithful. Their nominations in the wake of President Biden's exit from the presidential race have been coupled with high enthusiasm and energy from Democrats.

"The DNC is definitely low energy and low impact, with Democrats screaming and yelling with no message other than disgusting personal attacks and outright lies. Contrast that with the RNC and President Trump who has offered a positive vision for America," Steven Cheung, Trump campaign communications director, said in a statement to the Hill on Friday.

The Hill has also reached out to Vance for a response to Ocasio-Cortez's remarks.