Progressive Squad member Cori Bush had an on-stage breakdown on Tuesday after losing her reelection bid. The progressive Democrat is the second Squad member to be defeated after a fiercely contested primary against a more moderate opponent who criticized Bush for backing pro-Gaza protests.
Bush is now blaming her loss to the pro-Israel group AIPAC, which spent nearly $9 million to unseat her, and she has threatened to "tear down" the organization. Her impassioned remarks were made during a primary election watch party in St. Louis, Missouri, where she addressed her supporters. Pacing back on stage and shouting that the microphone shook, the former BLM organizer denounced "corporations" and AIPAC.
Cori Bush Issue Warning after Defeat
Defiantly, Bush told the crowd that now she is no longer constrained by the decorum of Congress, and with "some of the strings cut off," her opponents will "see this other Cori, this other side."
Then, to loud applause, she issued an ominous warning: "AIPAC, I'm coming to tear your kingdom down."
"Pulling me away from my position as congresswoman, all you did was take some of the strings off," she proclaimed.
"Let's be clear, let's be clear, let's be clear,' Bush chants over and over again, 'let's talk about what it really is."
Meanwhile, AIPAC celebrated Bush's defeat on Wednesday morning. "AIPAC and our 4.5 million grassroots members were proud to help progressive pro-Israel leader Wesley Bell defeat anti-Israel Squad member Rep. Cori Bush last night," the group posted on X.
"Being pro-Israel is good policy and good politics!"
The Missouri Democrat told the supportive audience that as her tenure in Congress winds down, she now needs to be feared.
"As much as I love my job, all they did was radicalize me, so now they need to be afraid," she said Tuesday night. 'They about to see this other Cori, this other side."
"And let me put all of these corporations on notice: I'm coming after you too. But I'm not coming by myself. I'm coming with all the people that's in here."
"I don't fear you," Bush said. "I don't fear anything ... so if this happened it was meant to happen."
Going All Out
The Associated Press projected Bush's defeat three hours after the polls closed, with her trailing by approximately five points.
"I am committed to serving the St. Louis region in Congress with integrity, transparency, and dedication," Bell said in a statement after winning.
"Together, we will tackle the challenges ahead and build a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive."
Another Squad member, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., also lost his primary to a more moderate Democrat earlier this summer.
Bush encountered millions in outside money poured into her race by pro-Israel groups opposing her strong pro-Palestinian stance.
"Wesley Bell's victory and Cori Bush's defeat underscore what we've seen in races across the country and throughout this election cycle — being pro-Israel is not just wise policy, but also smart politics," said Mark Mellman, chairman of the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC, in a statement.
Bowman, also a Squad member until he leaves Congress this winter, strongly defended Palestinians and condemned Israel's actions as "genocide."
His repeated criticism of the Jewish nation's wartime conduct led to a pro-Israel SuperPAC targeting him. AIPAC, a pro-Israel political group, spent massively against Bowman, investing millions into the campaign of a local county executive.
