Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went into the Munich Security Conference fully expecting a frosty reception. She knew her anti-establishment arguments might not sit well with the ‘elite decision-makers’ present, a group she characterized as largely unresponsive to class-based messages.
This visit to Germany was a significant step for the progressive New York congresswoman, marking her most prominent foreign trip to date. Having largely focused on domestic issues until now, her remarks last week about global working-class concerns and the reaction from world leaders were met with eager anticipation and meticulous scrutiny.
Yet, instead of her core arguments, it was her on-camera stumbles while answering questions about specific world affairs that quickly went viral across conservative social media. These moments fueled widespread discussion among political observers who speculated on their potential impact on a hypothetical presidential run in 2028.
The most striking instance occurred when she was asked if the United States should deploy troops to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. She visibly stalled for approximately 20 seconds before delivering a response that mirrored the United States’ long-standing policy of strategic ambiguity.
The microscopic dissection of her performance, constantly framed through the lens of a potential White House campaign, deeply frustrated Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, 36. She expressed concern that her central message—a stern warning to wealthy global leaders that they must better support their working classes or risk their countries succumbing to authoritarianism—was being entirely lost amid the commotion.
Thus, on Monday night, while still in Berlin, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez spoke to The New York Times by phone, intent on re-emphasizing her original message.
“This reporter came up to me and was like, ‘Is Munich the new New Hampshire?’ And I cannot say enough how out of touch and missing the point, genuinely, that is,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez stated in the interview, referencing the state’s tradition of hosting early presidential primary contests. “Global democracies are on fire the world over, and established parties are falling to right-wing populist movements.”
For Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, the public discourse surrounding her visit had entirely overlooked the more critical issue of rising authoritarianism. She noted that this very argument had been well-received by Europeans during two foreign policy panels, private meetings with German leaders, and a packed university auditorium address in Berlin.
She elaborated that her reason for going to Munich was “not because I’m running for president, not because I’ve made some kind of decision about a horse race or a candidacy, but because we need to sound the alarm bells that a lot of those folks in nicely pressed suits in that room will not be there much longer if we do not do something about the runaway inequality that is fueling far-right populist movements.”
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez argued that efforts to turn “any five-to-10-second thing” from her remarks into viral clips online, particularly within conservative circles, were a deliberate attempt to “distract from the substance of what I am saying.”
On the ground in Germany, the reaction to Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s visit was generally positive. This comes at a crucial time when many of the United States’ traditional Western allies are increasingly alarmed by President Trump’s hostile rhetoric and are actively seeking alternative approaches.
Rafał Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw, expressed his encouragement regarding Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s visit and her willingness to analyze the root causes of the recent surge in right-wing populism—a key topic of one of her panels in Munich.
“It’s of course refreshing to see some American politicians who talk openly about all of those challenges that we face,” Mr. Trzaskowski remarked. “It’s good to hear progressive voices which are courageous enough to call a spade a spade.”
Nevertheless, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s missteps were particularly striking for a politician known for her quick thinking and effective communication skills. Besides her response on Taiwan, critics pointed to her referring to the ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership’ (which she later clarified online meant the Atlantic) and her suggestion that Venezuela lay below the Equator (it is situated just north of it).
The performances of other prominent Democrats, also seen as potential presidential candidates—such as Governors Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan—were closely observed by European attendees and news outlets. While Ms. Whitmer’s remarks also drew some criticism, none generated the same level of buzz or scrutiny as Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s.
In Munich, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez engaged in private meetings with several German officials, including Lars Klingbeil, the finance minister; Carsten Schneider, the environment minister; and Parliament members Siemtje Möller and Sonja Eichwede. Representatives for Mr. Klingbeil and Mr. Schneider chose not to disclose details of their private discussions.
However, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez characterized her meetings as productive and expressed being “pleasantly surprised” by her reception in Munich. She attributed this positive outcome partly to European governments’ growing apprehension about rising far-right movements.
During a news conference in Munich, she asserted, “we have tried everything that the conventional wisdom has said is best, and where we are today is record inequality.” She added, “we have no other choice—the only alternative is a world that is dominated by a handful of elites.”
In the interview, she revealed that her discussions included topics like the framework for a global wealth or corporate tax. She also mentioned deliberating with European leaders on how to counter conservative arguments against renewable energy, for instance, by highlighting the role of artificial intelligence data centers in increasing energy costs and framing renewable energy as a stable alternative to volatile fossil fuel prices.
Referencing Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech, which was generally well-received by European leaders, she noted that movements she views as hostile to working-class interests remain potent. She warned that such groups are coordinating globally, fueled by figures like Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, President Javier Milei of Argentina, and former President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil.
“Everyone’s got this story wrong, that this is about me running for president,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez declared. “I could give — whatever, about that, to be honest.” She further explained: “The story is less about the opponents being some hypothetical primary. To me, my opponents are the network that links Orban, Trump, Milei, Bolsonaro, all of these folks.”
Her frustration, she elaborated, stemmed from feeling that there was a deliberate attempt “to shadow and obscure this all through the idea of a horse race. Like, ‘Her performance about this, or her performance about that. What does that mean about her as a candidate?’ That’s not what I went to Munich for.”
She added, “If I were running—if I had made a decision or anything about being president, or Senate, or anything like that—frankly, I say this all the time: Am I acting like someone who is trying to run? No! Because I’m there for a very different, specific purpose.”
In Berlin, she encountered a more receptive audience. She toured the Bundestag, Germany’s federal Parliament, alongside younger, progressive members of the Social Democratic Party, offering them advice on campaigning and organizing. On Monday, she met with members of Die Linke, Germany’s primary democratic socialist party, to discuss the potential implementation of a wealth tax.
In both cities, her core argument remained consistent: the most effective way to counter far-right movements is by addressing people’s economic hardships, including through antitrust efforts against large corporations. This approach aims to prevent individuals from seeking ‘scapegoats’ for their challenges.
She also critiqued the Western world’s prevailing strategy, suggesting that global trade agreements are often exploited as a “back door for major corporations and global industries” to circumvent governments and establish rules that disproportionately benefit the wealthy.
At the university event in Berlin, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez navigated another sensitive situation. She was confronted by pro-Palestinian college students who demanded that the university and the Social Democratic Party vocally condemn Israel—a particularly fraught topic in Germany given the historical context of the Holocaust.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez advised the students on the importance of maintaining a critical perspective while simultaneously ensuring that left-wing movements remain united. This moment underscored her evolution over the years, transforming from a progressive agitator within the Democratic Party to a figure actively working to build coalitions.
“We need to be able to be very angry at each other, and also know what the real enemy is,” she remarked. “We have to grow our ranks, and we have to persuade. If we go separately, we will lose it all.”
In the interview, she reflected on this idea, noting it was reinforced during her visit to the Bundestag. She observed the distinct seating arrangements of various liberal parties in Parliament, recognizing their frequent internal conflicts over potential collaborations. These divisions, she realized, ultimately benefit Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party.
“I think a lot about all of the heartburn that the Democratic Party has sometimes had in these internal conversations,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said. She concluded that in both countries, if the center-left and further-left factions cannot set aside their differences, “then the whole thing goes out the window.”
