‘CNN Republican’ Davis: AOC Toughest in 2028 Due to Excitement, ‘Not Necessarily’ Her Policies

Erica Hill Paul Kane Chuck Rocha Ashley Davis CNN This Morning-9-15-26

Last week, "CNN Republican" Ashley Davis embraced George W. Bush’s “Islam is peace” line. Tuesday, Davis was back on CNN This Morning, talking up Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's potential and declining to criticize her policies

The panel was chewing over Gavin Newsom’s fly-fishing assurance to Jake Tapper that he would not run for president if Kamala Harris did. Host Erica Hill asked how much of a “gift” either Democrat would be to Republicans in 2028. 

Davis did not hesitate. She hoped both would run. Then she named the one Democrat she would rather not face: 

“I’ve been saying for months now, Erica, and Chuck knows this, I think that our toughest candidate right now is AOC because of the excitement she brings. I’m not necessarily saying her policies, but Newsom and Kamala, they are folks that we can run against easily, especially because of kind of some of the disastrous policies in California that you can run on and make a lot of TV ads off of.” 

Newsom and Harris have “disastrous” policies—an ad-maker’s dream. AOC? Her strength is the excitement she brings -- but "not necessarily” her policies. So, for Davis, AOC's policies might be another plus, but not "necessarily" so. 

Ocasio-Cortez remains a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Someone should remind Davis what those policies are.

 

Among the positions that are hers, not just the organization’s: 

Medicare for All—single-payer, government as the payer. 
The Green New Deal, phasing out fossil fuels. 
Abolish ICE. She has called it “a rogue agency that should not exist.” 
In April she said she will oppose all U.S. military aid to Israel, including funding for the missile shield Iron Dome she had previously carved out—the position DSA demanded. 
In 2020 she said: "Defunding police means defunding police. It does not mean budget tricks or funny math. The fight to defund policing continues." Just last month, with higher office on her mind, she tried to walk it back, telling Jonathan Karl, "Woke 1 was crazy." 

Those are the policies Davis would not call disastrous. Newsom/Kamala's she would. 

If a Republican cannot say that AOC’s agenda would be a gold mine for a GOP opponent—and disastrous for the country—CNN has no business passing her off as the Republican on the set. 

Note: Dem strategist and former Bernie campaign adviser Chuck Rocha said he was sure Newsom is running. But, without naming names, Rocha implied he was an AOC kinda guy: "There's no doubt Democrats are looking nationwide for some kind of dramatic change in our party. We want to look forward to the next generation."  Substitute host Erica Hill also implicitly criticized the potential candidacies of Newsom or Kamala, asking Davis: "How much of a gift is either one of those potential candidates to Republicans in '28?"

Here's the transcript. 

CNN This Morning 
9/15/26 
6:48 am EDT 

ERICA HILL: As California Governor Gavin Newsom contemplates what's next, maybe a possible run for president in 2028, he says there is one Democrat he won't run against. Former Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Newsom spoke with CNN's Jake Tapper when the two went fly fishing at a family ranch. 

JAKE TAPPER: It's gonna be a lot of people. A lot of Democrats 

GAVIN NEWSOM: Thirty-one flavors. 

TAPPER: And you're not even the only Californian. 

NEWSOM: No, right, yeah. 

TAPPER: You've got Ro Khanna -- 

NEWSOM: Yeah. 

TAPPER: Kamala. 

NEWSOM: Yeah. I don't know if she runs, but we'll see. 

TAPPER: I know she's called around. 

NEWSOM: Yeah. But I wouldn't, I wouldn't run if she ran. 

TAPPER: If she runs, you will not. 

NEWSOM: Of course not. Why would I? I wouldn't do that to her. I wouldn't do it to me. Why would I? I wouldn't do that to you. I wouldn't waste everyone's time. Who needs that? 

TAPPER: What do you mean? That doesn't even make sense to me. 

NEWSOM: I just, I wouldn't— No, I wouldn't. But first of all, electorally, it's a gift from God for everybody else. They'd enjoy the hell out of it. Mutual assured destruction. It, it services no greater good. 

HILL: The group chat is back. Chuck, I feel like you have to take this one first because it's fly fishing, and we know how much you love your fly fishing. 

But before I let you talk about your hobby, you know, I was struck by that moment. It's getting, it's getting so much attention, obviously. But are either Newsom or Harris the right person for Democrats to have on the ticket in 2028? 

CHUCK ROCHA: There's no doubt Democrats are looking nationwide for some kind of dramatic change in our party. We want to look forward to the next generation. 

And, oh by the way, Jake Tapper, when you got your fly rod, don't break your wrist. It's kind of like you're painting the wall. You go back and forth like this. 

And also, I'm as sure that Gavin Newsom is running for President of the United States as I am sure that Ashley Davis is wearing some pretty shoes next door to me. But they're very uncomfortable. That's how confident I am about this. Now, this is— 

HILL: Ashley does have a shoe -- Ashley has an excellent shoe game. 

ASHLEY DAVIS: I do, I do. 

ROCHA: I think he's running, I think he's trying to be a politician, and I think there's gonna be him, one of 50 others running. 

HILL: Yeah, I would say it's likely to be, when I look at my Magic 8 Ball, it says, "Oh, yes, this will be a crowded race in 2028, Paul." 

. . . 

HILL: Ashley, how much of a gift is either one of those potential candidates to Republicans in '28? 

DAVIS: I was just gonna say, I hope they both run for sure, because I think that's who we would wanna run against. I've been saying for months now, Erica, and Chuck knows this. 

I think that our toughest candidate right now is AOC because of the excitement she brings. I'm not necessarily saying her policies. But Newsom and Kamala, they are folks that we can run against easily, especially because of kind of some of the disastrous policies in California that, that you can run on and make a lot of TV ads off of. 

But, so yeah, I, I think actually, Newsom would have a better chance though than Kamala, and so I think he's exactly what Paul said, betting on the fact that she doesn't run.