CHICAGO — Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended her past characterization of certain House members as white supremacist sympathizers and called Marjorie Taylor Greene an antisemite and a bigot during a conversation Friday at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. The discussion was moderated by David Axelrod.

A student asked Ocasio-Cortez whether she stood by her past remarks that there were legitimate white supremacist sympathizers at the core of the House caucus and, if so, why she had worked with some of them. Ocasio-Cortez said she stood by those remarks and said she was not scared of reaching across the aisle, citing her work with Representative Tim Burchett.

Ocasio-Cortez drew a distinction when discussing coalition-building on issues related to Israel and Gaza. "I personally do not trust someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene, a proven bigot and antisemite, on the issue of what is good for Gazans and Israelis. I don't think it benefits our movement in that instance to align the left with white nationalists. I don't think it serves us." she said.

Greene has rejected those characterizations. "I'm not a bigot. I'm not an antisemite. I just think the U.S. should not fund Israel." Greene said in an interview.