Sanders' aides sensed that Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement was within reach after she traveled to Burlington in late September to talk with Sanders and his team about her priorities, especially the Green New Deal. It's not clear who proposed the meetup in Vermont, but Shakir scheduled an hour-plus brunch between Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders. Shakir joined them, as did Jane Sanders and an aide to the congresswoman.
"I remember when they sat and talked to each other, it just felt like people who just know each other and understand each other," Shakir said. "They have been to some degree within their own caucuses — whether it's the House caucus or the Senate caucus — made to feel that they're outsiders looking in. And I think they find [a] common bond in that: That we are in a struggle where even the establishment of the Democratic Party doesn't always appreciate how we're approaching these issues."
