Joe Scarborough Mocks ‘Insane’ Democrats Denying AOC a ‘Place’ in Leadership: ‘She’s Under 80!’

Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough mocked “insane” Democrats for denying Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) a “place in leadership” despite the fact she is clearly viewed in polls as “the voice and the face” of the party.

Ocasio-Cortez has joined Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in recent months on a tour of the states and campaigning for radical change within the Democratic Party in order to beat Republicans in the next election cycle.

As MSNBC regular Anand Giridharadas discussed the tailspin faced by the party post-election loss, Scarborough launched into a defense of Ocasio-Cortez and outright mocked Democrats for snubbing her because she’s “under 80.”

I don’t think anybody that watches the show would confuse my politics with AOC’s politics. Just no one’s confused me with AOC’s politics. And yet I sit here, fairly conservative, independent, absolutely flummoxed by a Democratic Party that refuses to let her in leadership.

Like proving that the House is not a meritocracy, never was a meritocracy. The fact that they’re afraid to have the person who is considered in polls to be the voice and the face of the democratic party. Right now, moderates take a deep breath, everything shakes out, you’re going to be ok.

But she does a better job getting out there and explaining the inequities that drive working Americans to Republicans. She also, to her credit, she went and she talked to people who voted for Donald Trump and voted for her and didn’t go, ‘what’s wrong with your head?’ She’s like, ‘tell me, tell me, why did you do that?’

And by the way, she’s under 80. I don’t know if you knew that or not. She’s under 80. So you’re telling me that the Democratic Party does not have a place for her in leadership? Do you know how insane that is?

Giridharadas joined in to make fun of the Democrats, adding anyone “exciting and thrilling and galvanizing” like Ocasio-Cortez would flag on the party’s “litmus test” for “stay away.”

“She doesn’t have reading glasses yet, as far as I know. And that really, really disqualifies her,” he joked, to laughter from the hosts.

Scarborough went on to cite MAGA firebrand Steve Bannon, who has publicly given praise to Ocasio-Cortez as a “talent.” He added that this was proof that she could reach across the aisle and carry a message that motivated some of the working-class Trump base.

Watch above via MSNBC.