Trump claims he predicted Ocasio-Cortez would win

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Ocasio-Cortez criticized for excluding press from town halls

Democratic socialist candidate says move was to protect 'vulnerable populations' in attendance.

President Trump claimed in an interview on Thursday that he predicted political newcomer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s surprise primary win over Rep. Joe Crowley, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

Trump told Bloomberg News that Crowley, D-N.Y., who was thought by some to be a contender for speaker of the House, was “going to lose” as soon as he saw the 28-year-old Democratic socialist on television.

"So I’m watching television and I see this young woman on television and I say, ‘who’s that?’" Trump told the outlet. “Oh, she’s campaigning against Joe. You know who Joe is, right? Queens. Crowley. So, I say, ah, let me just watch her for a second. Wonderful thing, TiVo. So you go back. Hah. Tell him he’s going to lose.”

“Now, I don’t agree with her views,” he said. “Her views are terrible.”

Ocasio-Cortez has embraced far-left issues such as Medicare-for-all and calls to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.) She represents a rising wing in the party that has become more mainstream since Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., mounted a strong primary challenge against eventual 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

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Trump has recently predicted the Republicans could ride a “giant Red Wave” into the November midterm elections as several candidate he endorsed won their respective primaries, though Democrats are seen as having a solid shot at retaking the House.

Trump-backed Republican state Sen. Troy Balderson beat Democrat Danny O’Connor in Ohio’s special election for a vacant House seat earlier this month.

On Tuesday, another of Trump’s favored candidates, GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis, rode the wave from the president’s endorsement to victory over state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary.

Trump made a new prediction to Bloomberg on Thursday, telling the outlet that Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo will defeat his far-left opponent, actress Cynthia Nixon, in New York’s Sept. 13 gubernatorial primary.

Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.