Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is being widely mocked for what one critic called an “absolute train wreck” weekend full of gaffes while in Germany for the Munich Security Conference. One of the leading voices of the Democratic Party and a rumored 2028 presidential frontrunner, Ocasio-Cortez was ripped over several comments she made this weekend. This included an attempt to mock Secretary of State Marco Rubio for saying that U.S. cowboy culture originated in 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.” GOP strategist Matt Whitlock called her showing “an absolute train wreck,” specifically calling her out for comments regarding Mexico, Spain, and what he described as a “word salad” regarding Taiwan.
Sen. Ted Cruz also weighed in on social media, writing, “Tell me you know nothing about history without saying you know nothing about history.” Author David Harris added that Ocasio-Cortez is “dangerous” because she has the support of a large group of people. He took particular issue with her declaring Israel guilty of “genocide” while on German soil, calling the move “beyond obscene” and “disqualifying.”
OutKick founder Clay Travis compared the congresswoman’s answer about U.S. policy on Taiwan to a viral beauty pageant answer from 2007. When asked if the U.S. should commit troops to defend Taiwan, Ocasio-Cortez appeared to stall for nearly 20 seconds. She eventually stated that the U.S. should try to “avoid any such confrontation” and ensure the question never arises.
Popular commentator Benny Johnson also ripped into Ocasio-Cortez for claiming that the U.S. cannot capture leaders like Nicolás Maduro because Venezuela is “below the equator.” Critics quickly pointed out that none of Venezuela is actually south of the equator. “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,” Johnson wrote.
Prominent Catholic leader Bishop Robert Barron expressed concern that Ocasio-Cortez’s dismissal of Western values is “right out of the Marxist playbook.” Barron stated that as a religious leader, he is worried that a Marxist philosophy is taking hold in some leading political figures. He urged people to attend to the language being used, saying, “I think that should be very concerning to everybody.”