TV producer, screenwriter and playwright Aaron Sorkin is under fire for essentially telling young Democratic leaders to grow up.
CNN’s Fareed Zakaria asked the creator of “The West Wing” and “The Newsroom” which Democrats he liked. After a brief hesitation, Sorkin named Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and former Vice President Joe Biden.
“I really like the new crop of young people who were just elected to Congress,” he added. Then the 57-year-old Sorkin offered some advice:
They now need to stop acting like young people, OK? It’s time to do that. I think that there’s a great opportunity here, now more than ever, for Democrats to be the non-stupid party. To point out the difference, that it’s not just about transgender bathrooms. That’s a Republican talking point they’re trying to distract you with. That we haven’t forgotten the economic anxiety of the middle class, but we’re going to be smart about this. We’re not going to be mean about it.”
Sorkin was immediately called out ― with one member of the “new crop of young people just elected to Congress” notably taking exception.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tweeted:
Others also had some words for Sorkin: