MSNBC’s Chris Hayes blasted Democrats on Tuesday for what he called “genuine madness” in failing to address the issue of age within their party’s leadership. Hayes made his comments after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) lost to Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) in the race to become the ranking member on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee for the next Congress.
On his show All In, Hayes pointed to several key examples of older Democrats and prominent left-wing figures holding on to powerful positions, despite younger, more dynamic alternatives. He specifically highlighted President Biden’s decision to seek a second term, former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s reluctance to retire, and the 74-year-old Connolly defeating the 35-year-old Ocasio-Cortez in Tuesday’s contest for the Oversight panel role.
Referring to Biden’s re-election bid and his eventual exit from the race, Hayes remarked, “You would think that would have been enough for Democrats to start taking the age issue seriously, but it was not.”
Despite growing calls within the party to embrace a younger generation of leaders, including Ocasio-Cortez’s advocacy for new voices, Hayes expressed frustration over the persistence of older figures holding on to influential roles. He pointed out that Connolly’s victory in the Oversight race came with the backing of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who reportedly “whipped votes” in his favor.
“This feels like a moment of genuine madness,” Hayes declared. “Pelosi, at 84, is recovering from hip surgery, yet she’s still actively working behind the scenes to ensure a senior figure like Connolly gets the Oversight job over the party’s younger star.”
Despite the rise of younger Democrats this week in other leadership contests, the Oversight vote went decisively in Connolly’s favor, with the caucus voting 131-84 to choose him over Ocasio-Cortez.
Hayes concluded by reiterating his point: the failure to take age seriously in party leadership is, in his view, a significant misstep for Democrats moving forward.
Watch the clip below:
