In a recent interview with The New York Times, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) firmly rejected any notions of preparing for a presidential campaign. She emphasized that her focus isn’t on “class-based messages” or presidential aspirations.
“People are completely misunderstanding this situation. This isn’t about me running for president,” Ocasio-Cortez stated. “Honestly, you can say whatever you want about that.”
Over the weekend, she attended the Munich Security Conference in Germany, where she faced criticism for some of her remarks, including a comment that Venezuela is situated on the equator.
Ocasio-Cortez described the Munich event as a gathering of “elite decision-makers who don’t really respond to class-based issues.”
She dismissed rumors about a potential 2028 campaign, asserting that her true adversary is a “network” of leaders, naming figures like Orbán, Trump, and others. “The real challenge isn’t a hypothetical primary; it’s about these connections between them,” she explained.
In further comments, she clarified that her presence at the conference was not about a presidential run but about raising awareness regarding rampant inequality that, she believes, fuels far-right populism. She warned that without addressing these issues, many of those in “neatly pressed suits” in the room would not remain relevant for long.
During the interview, Ocasio-Cortez encountered questions about Munich’s significance in presidential politics, with some members of her political group criticizing the framing. “A reporter asked me if Munich is the new New Hampshire, and honestly, I can’t emphasize enough how misguided that is,” she remarked. She noted that global democracy is facing serious challenges, and established parties seem to lean more toward right-wing populism.
She also stressed the importance of Democrats maintaining unity despite their differences. “We really need to focus our anger on the right things,” she said, advocating for collaboration to prevent losing ground.
Reflecting on the internal struggles within the Democratic Party, she remarked that if centrists and progressives can’t reconcile their differences, “everything goes out the window.”
At the conference, Ocasio-Cortez drew attention by stating that Venezuela is “below the equator” and critiqued the Trump administration for its actions against the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro. “This isn’t about who Maduro was; he was anti-democratic. But that doesn’t justify acts like kidnapping heads of state just because he’s on the equator,” she pointed out.
Additionally, she condemned acts of genocide committed by Israel during her discussions at the conference.
