Former U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., came out swinging this week at U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“Nancy Pelosi may be the new speaker of the House, but socialist Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the voice of their party,” West insisted on Tuesday. “Young, liberal, completely disconnected from reality – she represents the growing number of progressive socialists who have seized control in the House and care little for individual freedom or fiscal responsibility. Ocasio-Cortez liberals demand ideological domination and collectivism even if it means undermining the American Republic.”
West insisted the rise of the New York congresswoman underscores the need to return the House to the GOP come 2020.
“It’s urgent that conservatives regain control. Pelosi and Schumer have shown their true nature – they will bring our country to a halt defending illegal immigrants and border jumpers,” West noted before calling for the right to unite in 2020. “Conservatives must band together in opposition to the disastrous Nancy Pelosi Democrats and to regain the majority in the House while keeping the progressive socialist left from gaining control of the White House.”
West also showcased his Guardian Fund PAC.
“My creed is simple. I fight for liberty, freedom, individual sovereignty, free market/free enterprise economic policy, and peace through strength: constitutional conservatism,” West noted. “It’s our mission to fight and defend these honored principles – not socialism, progressivism, and sanctuary state and city policies.”
The Guardian Fund PAC saw some success in Florida as Republican U.S. Reps. Neal Dunn and Brian Mast, both veterans, kept their seats while Michael Waltz and Greg Steube kept open seats in the GOP column. However, the PAC also backed U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., and Maria Elvira Salazar who both went down to defeat as the Democrats flipped two seats in South Florida.
After more than two decades of decorated service in the Army, West ran for Congress in 2008, losing to U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Fla. In 2010, West turned the tables and beat Klein in a rematch. While he became a favorite of conservatives at the national level, West was defeated in 2012 by Democrat Patrick Murphy. After losing to Murphy, West has garnered some speculation as a possible U.S. Senate candidate but he never launched a campaign.
Instead, West went to Texas to lead the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), a conservative think tank, for two and a half years before it shut down in the summer of 2017.
Following his decision to take over at NCPA, West left the Guardian Fund PAC, letting U.S. Rep. Barry Lourdermilk, R-Ga., lead it.
Kevin Derby can be reached at Kevin.Derby@floridadaily.com.