Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., celebrated Kamala Harris' running mate, Minneosta Gov. Tim Walz, calling him a "uniter" for the whole country on Wednesday.
CBS' Gayle King asked the New York lawmaker on "CBS Mornings" about the "rave reviews" Walz was getting from fellow Democrats throughout the party.
"First and foremost, it says that Governor Walz is a uniter, that Vice President Harris is picking a uniter, for not just the Democratic Party, but for the entire United States," she said.
Ocasio-Cortez, one of the far-left members of the "Squad," added, "we are seeing every American, rural America, suburban America, urban America," in the Harris-Walz ticket.
VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV. TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE: AP
King also questioned Ocasio-Cortez about Republicans calling Walz a liberal progressive and asked her to describe the label without using talking points.
"I think progressive means the following. Most Americans believe that money in politics has an outsized role in what happens in government and, to me, being a progressive means putting the needs of working families ahead of the needs of profit and of special interests and corporations. And so that translates into what we see in Governor Walz and the priorities of Vice President Harris," she said.
Ocasio-Cortez joined many of her fellow Democrats in endorsing Walz as Harris' running mate. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who recently left the Democratic Party to become an Independent, also endorsed Walz.
"Vice President Harris made an excellent decision in Gov. Walz as her running mate. Together, they will govern effectively, inclusively, and boldly for the American people. They won’t back down under tight odds, either - from health care to school lunch," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X.
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Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., also offered a ringing endorsement of Walz.
"Congratulations to our next Vice President," Omar wrote on X. "Our North Star state Governor has signed universal school meals, paid family and sick leave, marijuana legalization, and protections for reproductive rights into law. Bringing Minnesota nice to the ticket."
Machin praised Harris' choice and said Walz "will bring normality back to the most chaotic political environment that most of us have ever seen."
Manchin also said Walz would bring "balance" back to the Democratic Party.
Despite Walz having a progressive record, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended him as being "right down the middle."
"Tim Walz is wonderful. She had many good choices. Tim Walz I know very well. He served in the House. To characterize him as left is so unreal. It’s just not, he’s right down the middle. He’s a heartland of America Democrat," she told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Tuesday.
