Democratic congressman says the media is making Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez into a 'deity

A Democratic member of Congress derided how upstart socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is being portrayed by some in the media, and called one of her campaign platform policies "ridiculous."

'She has been made out as some kind of deity'

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) told Fox News' Neil Cavuto that he believed socialist candidate Ocasio-Cortez was doing damage to the Democratic Party Tuesday.

"Well, I think that we're gonna have probably divided government in January," Cleaver said.

"Which way do you want your party to turn?" Cavuto asked. "I mean there's a thought that a hard left turn, you know and maybe someone like the woman who was elected in New York to be Democratic nominee, that hard left Bernie Sanders-type approach, is the way the party should go, that's where the passion is. What do you think?"

"Well I can answer the question rather easily, I didn't support Bernie Sanders for president, I supported somebody else," Cleaver responded.

"And secondly," he continued, "I think in some ways the media has pushed the young woman victorious in the New York congressional race against Joe Crowley to the point that she has been made out as some kind of deity."

Cleaver went on to say that comparisons of ICE to the Islamic State were "ridiculous," apparently linking it to Ocasio-Cortez's platform advocating the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement department.

"And obviously the Democratic Party are gonna have people who would like to pull the party to the far left," Cleaver added. "That's not where America is."

'Enormous damage to the fabric of the nation'

"And if the Republicans continue to move to the far right," Cleaver continued, "we're gonna leave the majority of Americans in the middle. But it does enormous damage to the fabric of the nation. And neither side is going to benefit. Look, nobody in America who is thoughtful can say the American public stands together, because we don't. And every day we try to find a little piece of something to tear us apart. "

Cavuto thanked Cleaver for calming people down as he ended the segment.

Here's the video from Fox News with Rep. Cleaver's comments:

Ocasio-Cortez shocked the political world when she defeated a Democratic incumbent in the primary for New York's 14th District. Many in the mainstream Democratic establishment have bristled at the push from the socialist candidate to make the party much farther left.