Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, better known for her progressive views than her foreign policy record over seven years in Congress, signaled a change in approach when she attended the Munich Security Conference this weekend. The presence fueled speculation about a possible candidacy for President in 2028.
Invited by the organizers of the annual event that brings together global leaders, Ocasio-Cortez participated in two panels and presented her vision on the risks of authoritarianism, Taiwan, Greenland and Gaza. The participation functioned as a test and showcase, offering an indication of what the Democrats’ foreign policy could be in the post-Joe Biden era.
She called for a foreign policy that tackles record inequality and seeks to reverse a world “dominated by a handful of elites, a handful of oligarchs who sit in fake democracies and make backroom deals among themselves.” In one of the panels, he stated that the unconditional US aid to Israel “enabled a genocide”.
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“We are at a crossroads. I believe leaders are increasingly recognizing that we need to present an alternative vision,” he said.
The New York congresswoman was one of several Democratic leaders with future ambitions to attend, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California Governor Gavin Newsom. He sought to reassure Europe by stating that there will be political life after President Donald Trump.
“It will be measured in years, not decades,” Newsom said.
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Still, it was Ocasio-Cortez who attracted the most attention. It was her first time at the annual conference, and she is not a member of the Chamber’s Foreign Affairs or Armed Forces committees. His foreign policy work so far has focused mainly on Latin America and opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza.
Republican commentators in the US said she was unprepared for prime time after what they called a confusing response to a question from Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua about whether the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China.
Usually quick to respond, Ocasio-Cortez hesitated, saying, “this is a, a, you know, I think, this is a, um, this is, of course, a, ah, a very longstanding, um, policy of the United States.”
She, however, recovered with a more articulate response. The US should “avoid any confrontation of this type and this question even arising,” he said.
The hesitation was “because she wanted to be careful about what she was saying,” Matt Duss, who advises Ocasio-Cortez on foreign policy, said in an interview. “I wish more politicians would wait to respond instead of firing off ready-made sentences.”
According to Duss, participating in the event was “an opportunity to bring a perspective that is rarely heard in Munich and other security conferences — the need for a policy that supports the working class and tackles inequality.”
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In contrast to Vice President JD Vance, who last year met with far-right politicians, Ocasio-Cortez
