Is New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez underestimating us, or is she hinting at a presidential run? It might be a bit of both.
With ongoing protests in Iran against its Islamic government, Ocasio-Cortez expressed her support for the demonstrators, labeling the government’s actions as “horrifying.”
On Sunday, she posted, “The Iranian government’s violent crackdown on demonstrators is horrific and must stop now. Everyone has the right to protest against their government without fear of violence. I support Iranians who take to the streets demanding a better future.”
Yet, Ocasio-Cortez has consistently taken a dove-like stance regarding the Ayatollah regime in Congress, previously opposing new sanctions against Iran.
In 2020, she blamed the Trump administration for the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, an Iranian Major General, saying it constituted an act of war that endangered many innocent lives.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she collaborated with independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ilhan Omar, urging the Trump administration to lift sanctions on Iran, stating, “Rather than continuing to impose new sanctions at a time when Iranians need it most, we urge you to effectively suspend sanctions against Iran.”
In June 2025, when President Trump ordered bombings of Iran’s nuclear sites, Ocasio-Cortez co-sponsored a bill aimed at preventing unauthorized military action against Iran. She denounced the bombings as grounds for impeachment, calling it a serious violation of constitutional war powers.
Interestingly, she was one of the few Congress members who refrained from condemning Iran’s attack on Israel in June, even though she had condemned an earlier attack back in 2024.
There’s that saying—death, taxes, and caviar socialists like AOC displaying hypocrisy. This latest instance might indicate she’s eyeing a presidential run in 2028. It seems likely she and her team realize that some of her foreign policy stances on issues like Israel and Palestine may not sit well with many Americans or even with some Democrats. On the flip side, many left-wing democratic socialists think she doesn’t hold a strong enough stance on Israel.
If she faces someone like California Gov. Gavin Newsom in the primaries, she could find herself needing to shift slightly toward the center to appeal to moderates. This could explain her recent criticism of anti-Israel activists supporting Hamas.
She remarked, “Marching into a Jewish-majority neighborhood and leading with the slogan ‘We support Hamas’ is a disgusting and anti-Semitic act. Pretty basic!”
Cynical? Perhaps. But that’s the game in politics. Ocasio-Cortez is savvy enough to navigate it, despite her flaws and moments of contradiction.
