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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., were both hesitant to credit President Donald Trump for the ceasefire during a town hall conversation on Wednesday.
CNN host Kaitlan Collins pressed both progressive lawmakers on whether the president should be commended for securing the release of the hostages.
“There have been several ceasefire announcements and developments that have happened over the past two years. I think that the release of the hostages is a tremendous accomplishment. And, it is providing so much healing to so many people, Israelis and Palestinians. And it is a profound and important moment in this conflict. I also think that as President Trump was on the plane back to the United States, there’s already indications and questions about whether this ceasefire will hold. And I pray that it does for, for everyone’s benefit,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Collins asked her again if Trump deserved credit for getting the Israeli hostages home.
From left, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, President Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
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“In this particular development, yes. But we also know that President Trump was an obstacle to peace previously, as well,” Ocasio-Cortez responded.
Sanders said he was “annoyed” by everyone talking about credit.
“The entire infrastructure of Gaza, hospitals, schools, water systems, wastewater plants have been destroyed under Trump. And by the way, what bothers me as an American, we have given under Biden and under Trump, $22 billion to Netanyahu‘s extremist government, which for the last month or two have been starving children. That has been their policy,” Sanders said.
Sanders said he was happy that the hostages had been released and added that he hoped peace in the region would last.
President Donald Trump poses for a photo with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before he boards Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, near Tel Aviv, as Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, left, watches. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)
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“This is not a time for credit. This is a time to think about American policy. Are we happy that we have given tens of billions of dollars to destroy the Palestinian people? Israel had a right to defend itself. They were attacked by a terrorist group. They did not have a right to go into an all-out war against women and children in Gaza,” he said.
Sanders clashed with a town hall attendee during the event when the senator was pressed on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his role in the government shutdown.
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American University student Rohan Naval, a Republican, asked Sanders how he thinks the shutdown reflected on Schumer’s leadership.
“Well, I think it reflects more on [Speaker] Mike Johnson‘s leadership and President Trump‘s leadership,” Sanders answered. “This is a leadership that said it‘s OK to give a… well, how do you feel? You tell me. You think it‘s a good idea to give $1 trillion in tax breaks to the richest people in the country and then make massive cuts to health care for working-class people?”
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Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
