On Wednesday, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) delivered a strong message to Kamala Harris, vowing that there would be significant backlash from progressives if Lina Khan, the current Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairperson, is removed from her position.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at the “Our Fight Our Future” voter rally at Texas State University in San Marcos Tuesday October 1, 2024.

This warning comes amid growing concerns from Wall Street-aligned supporters of Harris, including billionaire Mark Cuban, who have encouraged the vice president to replace Khan if she wins the presidency on November 5.

Ocasio-Cortez, an influential member of the progressive “Squad,” took to social media platform X to issue her statement, writing, “Let me make this clear, since billionaires have been trying to play footsie with the ticket: Anyone goes near Lina Khan and there will be an out and out brawl. And that is a promise. She proves this admin fights for working people. It would be terrible leadership to remove her.”

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Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks echo similar sentiments expressed by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who has been a vocal supporter of Khan.

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On Tuesday, Sanders tweeted his defense of the FTC Chair, stating, “@mcuban is wrong. Lina Khan is the best FTC Chair in modern history.

By taking on corporate greed & illegal monopolies, Lina is doing an exceptional job preventing large corporations from ripping off consumers & exploiting workers.”

Mark Cuban, a Kamala supporter, has suggested that Khan’s aggressive stance on antitrust issues could hinder the United States’ ability to compete globally, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence.

Cuban recently told Semafor that if he were Harris, he would not retain Khan in the position, citing concerns that her focus on breaking up large tech companies could hurt the country’s leadership in emerging technologies.

Throughout Khan’s tenure as FTC Chair, she has built a reputation for taking a tough stance against corporate monopolies and business mergers, earning both praise and criticism. Her actions have caused some friction with sectors of the business community, leading to debates over the future direction of the FTC.

Despite this, Khan has maintained strong support from progressives, including lawmakers such as Representatives Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Greg Casar (D-TX), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), who have appeared with her at events as the 2024 campaign draws closer.

Interestingly, Khan has also received praise from certain Republican figures, such as Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Senator JD Vance (R-OH), both of whom have expressed approval of her efforts to regulate Big Tech and corporate monopolies.

In a statement earlier this year, Senator Vance remarked, “I guess I look at Lina Khan as one of the few people in the Biden administration that I think is doing a pretty good job.”

As Harris continues her campaign for the presidency, she has remained noncommittal about whether she would retain Khan as FTC Chair if elected.

This uncertainty has generated some concern among progressives, who view Khan’s leadership at the FTC as a key aspect of their broader efforts to rein in corporate power and advocate for working-class Americans.

Both Senator Sanders and Representative Ocasio-Cortez have publicly endorsed Harris in the presidential race, but their recent comments suggest that they are prepared to push back against any decisions that may threaten Khan’s position at the FTC.