Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) brushed aside talk of a 2028 White House run Friday while appearing at the Munich Security Conference, but she struggled when pressed to identify the single biggest shift in diplomacy under the current President.
The New York Democrat appeared on two panels in Germany, addressing Russia’s war in Ukraine, unrest in Iran, and broader questions about American foreign policy.
Speculation about a presidential bid surfaced during a discussion on populism. When asked directly whether she would pursue a wealth tax if she ran, Ocasio-Cortez deflected.
“I don’t think that anyone — and that we don’t have to wait for any one president to impose a wealth tax,” she said. “I think that it needs to be done expeditiously.”
She did not rule out a 2028 run, but she avoided offering specifics about how her policies would shape a potential campaign platform.
The lawmaker also declined to say whether future Democratic nominees should condition aid to Israel. She added that “the idea of completely unconditional aid, no matter what one does, does not make sense.”
Ocasio-Cortez went further, claiming, “I think it enabled a genocide in Gaza,” referencing U.S. support for Israel during its conflict with Hamas.
Later, during a Bloomberg TV panel moderated by Francine Lacqua, Ocasio-Cortez was asked to name the “single-biggest” change in diplomacy under President Donald Trump.
“The single-biggest?” she asked, pausing before launching into a broader critique.
She argued that U.S. foreign policy has shifted depending on which party controls the White House.
“What we are seeing now is this idea that US foreign policy is — and some of our more basic and foundational values-based commitments seem to be enacted based on the partisanship of whoever is elected,” she said.
Ocasio-Cortez cited withdrawals and reentries into international agreements, including the Paris climate accords, as evidence of instability.
“We play hokey-pokey with USAID,” she said, criticizing what she described as inconsistent commitments abroad.
She accused the administration of “wrecking ball politics” and warned that alliances were being strained, per the New York Post.
“I think this is a moment where we are seeing our presidential administration tear apart the transatlantic partnership, rip up every democratic norm, and really call into question the rules-based order,” she said.
Ocasio-Cortez also aimed at specific policies, referencing what she called “kidnapping a foreign head of state,” “threatening our allies to colonize Greenland,” and “looking the other way in a genocide.”
She claimed the U.S. risks sliding toward authoritarianism if it retreats from global institutions.
“They are looking to withdraw the United States from the entire world so that we can turn into an age of authoritarianisms,” she said.
At the same time, she insisted that the American public remains committed to democratic values and international partnerships.
“That does not mean that the majority of Americans are ready to walk away from our commitment to democracy,” she said.
While Ocasio-Cortez attempted to project a forward-looking vision in Munich, critics pointed to her inability to clearly articulate what she viewed as the defining shift in the administration’s foreign policy.
Her appearance abroad may fuel continued speculation about her national ambitions, even as she publicly avoids confirming any plans.
For now, the 36-year-old lawmaker remains focused on framing the debate over America’s role in the world, leaving open questions about whether that debate could eventually become part of a presidential campaign.
