Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) faced widespread criticism following what multiple commentators described as a weekend of missteps during her appearance at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
The four-term lawmaker is considered one of the Democratic Party’s most visible figures and a rumored 2028 presidential contender.
However, in her foreign policy debut on the world stage, she drew backlash for several remarks made during panel discussions and public appearances.
The gaffes included comments about American cowboy culture and U.S. foreign policy toward Taiwan.
AOC’s rambling word salad responses left world leaders and foreign policy experts scratching their heads in bewilderment.
Remarks on Cowboy Culture Ignite Criticism
Ocasio-Cortez attempted to mock Secretary of State Marco Rubio for stating that American cowboy traditions trace their roots to Spain.
“My favorite part was when he said that American cowboys came from Spain,” Ocasio-Cortez said, laughing.
“I believe that Mexicans and the descendants of African enslaved peoples would like to have a word on that.”
Critics quickly responded.
GOP strategist Matt Whitlock called her performance “an absolute train wreck,” accusing her of “Talking Nazis, Mexico and Spain, and the word salad heard round the world on Taiwan.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) wrote:
“Tell me you know nothing about history without saying you know nothing about history.”
Political strategist Marco Frieri added:
“I don’t understand why AOC is trying to rewrite this.
“It just makes her look bad.”
Author David Harris argued that “Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) isn’t just an ignoramus.
“She’s dangerous because she has the support of a larger group of ignoramuses.”
Harris also condemned AOC for accusing Israel of genocide, writing that “for her, on German soil, to declare #Israel guilty of ‘genocide’ is beyond obscene” and “should be disqualifying for her political ambitions.”
Taiwan Answer Draws “Word Salad” Accusations
Ocasio-Cortez also struggled to answer a direct question about whether the United States should commit troops to defend Taiwan in the event of Chinese military action.
After a prolonged pause, she responded:
“This is, of course, a, a very long-standing, policy of the United States, and I think what we are hoping for is that we want to make sure that we never get to that point, and we want to make sure that we are moving in all of our economic research and our global positions to avoid any such confrontation and for that question to even arise.”
WATCH:
OutKick founder Clay Travis compared the response to a viral 2007 beauty-pageant answer, asking:
“Who gave the better answer to a foreign policy question: AOC or Miss South Carolina?”
Conservative journalist Eric Daughtery labeled the response a “word salad,” writing in all caps that she had “SELF-DESTRUCTED.”
Geography Comments and Broader Backlash
Further criticism followed additional remarks involving Venezuela and U.S. foreign policy.
Commentator Benny Johnson wrote:
“AOC pontificates that we can’t just capture the leaders of nations like Venezuela because they are below the equator.
“Venezuela is not below the equator.”
Independent journalist Nick Sortor added:
“AOC has AGAIN made a fool out of herself on stage saying that we can’t capture leaders like Maduro in Venezuela ‘just because the nation is south of the equator’ NONE of Venezuela is south of the equator.”
Sortor concluded by urging: “PLEASE run in 2028, AOC.”
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) also weighed in, writing:
“It’s bad enough that @AOC, who barely speaks Spanish, is showcasing her lack of basic geography in Europe instead of spending time helping her constituents.
“What’s worse is the woke white liberals in Germany felt compelled to clap for her.”
“Wokeness is truly a mind virus,” he added.
Whitmer Also Faces Scrutiny
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, another potential Democrat presidential contender, drew criticism after deferring to fellow panelists when asked what victory in Ukraine would look like.
“The two that I am on the panel with are much more steeped in foreign policy than a governor is,” Whitmer said, later adding:
“Ukraine’s independence, keeping their land mass and having the support of all of the allies, I think, is the goal.”
Religious Leader Warns of “Marxist Philosophy”
Prominent Catholic Bishop Robert Barron expressed concern over Ocasio-Cortez’s broader ideological framing.
He said her rhetoric was “right out of the Marxist playbook” and warned that such thinking historically targeted religion first.
“As a religious leader, this is concerning me quite a bit,” Barron concluded.
“Take a look, everybody, attend to the language, in a way they’re telling us who they are and what they’re for, and I think that should be very concerning to everybody.”
Our comment section is restricted to members of the Slay News community only.
To join, create a free account HERE.
If you are already a member, log in HERE.