Outgoing Senator Calls Ocasio-Cortez a 'Bright Shiny New Object'

In a recent interview reflecting on her tenure in the Senate, McCaskill, who was unseated in November by Republican Josh Hawley, told CNN she's "confused" by the hype surrounding a member of Congress who hasn't yet been sworn into office.

"I don't know her," McCaskill said. "I'm a little confused why she's the thing. But it's a good example of what I'm talking about, a bright shiny new object, came out of nowhere and surprised people when she beat a very experienced congressman."

McCaskill went on to express skepticism at what Ocasio-Cortez has accomplished to warrant the attention she's earned from the media, fellow politicians, and the everyday Americans who have come to hang on her every word. McCaskill said she "wishes her well"—but argued that Ocasio-Cortez still has a lot to learn.

"I hope she also realizes that the parts of the country that are rejecting the Democratic Party, like a whole lot of white working class voters, need to hear about how their work is going to be respected, and the dignity of their jobs, and how we can really stick to issues that we can actually accomplish something on," McCaskill continued. "The rhetoric is cheap. Getting results is a lot harder."

Over her two terms, McCaskill governed as a conservative Democrat and tried to tailor her message to the Independents and Republicans she believed she needed to help her to victory in a red state like Missouri. In the final weeks of her failed bid for re-election, McCaskill supported President Donald Trump's efforts to "use every tool he has at his disposal" to stop undocumented immigrants from crossing the border and called liberal protesters "crazy Democrats."

In the end, she lost to Hawley, whom she dismissed as another "bright shining object" like Ocasio-Cortez in her CNN interview.

Ocasio-Cortez has made a splash in Washington during her transition period, beginning with her joining Sunrise Movement protesters for a demonstration in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's office in November, just over a week after Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest person elected to Congress. Ocasio-Cortez used the spotlight to push for a select committee that would draft a Green New Deal, legislation that would invest in renewable resources and infrastructure to combat climate change.

So far, more than 40 Democrats have backed Ocasio-Cortez on the initiative, including fellow incoming progressives like Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib, New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland, and Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar.

On climate change and a slate of other issues, Ocasio-Cortez has been unapologetic about forging a path ahead for a younger generation despite comments like McCaskill's.

"The age difference between myself and oldest House members is [about] 60yrs," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter earlier this week. "For better or worse, young people will live in the world Congress leaves behind."