Since her upset primary victory in 2018, congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has been an outspoken champion of progressive causes, from abolishing ICE to Medicare for All to a Green New Deal. Along with fellow members of the Squad and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the Biden administration has seen AOC attempt to balance support of the Biden administration and Democratic leadership against an increasingly extreme Republican Party, on the one hand, with criticism of Democrats’ disturbing record on immigration, health care, and much else on the other.

In a wide-ranging interview with Jacobin editor at large David Sirota, Ocasio-Cortez discussed the recent revelations about Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas seemingly accepting bribes, her disappointments with the Biden administration, how the Left can win against right-wing super PACs, and what’s next in the fights for action on climate change and Medicare for All. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length.