Trump Mocks AOC for 'Career-Ending' Munich Performance

Former president says Ocasio-Cortez's stumbling response could hurt her political future

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Former President Donald Trump harshly criticized Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) for her performance at last weekend's Munich Security Conference, saying her inability to answer questions could be "career-ending" and that his former campaign manager Susie Wiles would likely use the footage against her in a future election.

Why it matters

Ocasio-Cortez is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party and a potential future presidential candidate, so Trump's public mockery of her performance could damage her political standing, especially if the footage is used against her in a future campaign.

The details

At the Munich conference, Ocasio-Cortez gave a sputtering response when asked about U.S. policy toward Taiwan and incorrectly stated that Venezuela is "below the Equator." Trump said Ocasio-Cortez "was unable to answer a simple question" and that she could have handled it better by saying she was still studying the issue. The former president predicted Wiles, his former campaign manager, would use the footage against Ocasio-Cortez in a future election.

  • Ocasio-Cortez's appearance at the Munich Security Conference took place on February 13, 2026.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States who criticized Ocasio-Cortez's performance at the Munich conference.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

The Democratic U.S. Representative from New York's 14th congressional district who stumbled during a question-and-answer session at the Munich Security Conference.

Susie Wiles

Trump's former campaign manager who he said would likely use the footage of Ocasio-Cortez's performance against her in a future election.

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What they’re saying

“There was one young, attractive woman, she was unable to answer questions, and she didn't do so well like [Vice President] JD [Vance] did in college.”

— Donald Trump (New York Post)

“AOC, she was unable to answer a simple question, and she could have said, 'Well, I'm studying it, and I'll report back to you next week.'”

— Donald Trump (New York Post)

The takeaway

Trump's harsh criticism of Ocasio-Cortez's performance in Munich highlights the political risks she faces as a rising Democratic star, with the former president suggesting the footage could be used against her in a future election and damage her political career.