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Ocasio-Cortez, Omar and Tlaib endorse Bernie Sanders for president

Three of the four members of the “Squad” announced they would back Sanders. 

By World Israel News Staff

Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.),  Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) have endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president.

The endorsements are a major boon for the 78-year-old Vermont senator, who has faced questions over his health since suffering a heart attack two weeks ago.

The 30-year-old Ocasio-Cortez, 38-year-old Omar and 43-year-old Tlaib are progressive stars and frequent targets of President Donald Trump.

Sanders’ deputy communications director Sarah Ford says Ocasio-Cortez will appear with the senator at a rally in her home district in New York this weekend.

Sanders hinted at her backing during Tuesday’s Democratic debate in response to a question about his age, saying his skeptics should attend his Saturday rally featuring a “surprise guest.”

The support of three of the four members of “The Squad,” is good news for the Sanders campaign, CNN reports, and should help it “win over voters of color and create the kind of diverse coalition that mostly eluded it in 2016.”

Following Sanders health scare, supporters have drifted off to Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and, according to the Associated Press, political newcomer and technology entrepreneur Andrew Yang.

It remains to be seen if the backing of the three freshman Democratic stars will staunch the flow from Sanders’ campaign.

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Omar issued a statement confirming her support. She praised Sanders for “leading a working class movement to defeat Donald Trump that transcends generation, ethnicity, and geography.”

She also said in the statement that Sanders is “fighting for a humane immigration policy that treats immigrants as human beings and not criminals.”

Sanders had defended Omar, who is a Somali Muslim, from attack after she was accused of anti-Semitism for comments that borrowed heavily from anti-Jewish stereotypes. She had accused AIPAC, America’s largest pro-Israel lobby, of buying power.

In July, Omar introduced a resolution supporting the Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions movement. Ocasio-Cortez signed onto the bill, which was co-sponsored by Tlaib.

Associated Press contributed to this report.