Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is facing sharp criticism from conservative commentators after she appeared to distance herself from the term ‘woke’ during a recent interview, suggesting that the movement’s earlier phase was ‘crazy’ and that candidates should be judged on what they say now.
In comments first highlighted by the conservative website American Thinker, Ocasio-Cortez referenced a local city councilman’s saying: ‘Woke 1.0 was crazy.’ She laughed as she repeated the line, adding, ‘I think that what’s important is that we have to assess what a candidate is saying now.’
The remarks represent a notable rhetorical shift for the New York Democrat, who has long been associated with progressive causes and was a prominent figure in the party’s leftward push. American Thinker, in a piece by columnist Mike McDaniel, framed her comments as part of a broader pattern of Democrats attempting to distance themselves from positions they once embraced.
Context of the comments
Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks come amid a broader political conversation about the term ‘woke,’ which has become a flashpoint in American politics. Republicans have used the word to attack Democratic policies on race, policing, and criminal justice, while some Democrats have sought to downplay or redefine it.
According to the American Thinker piece, Ocasio-Cortez also addressed crime, saying: ‘I think that when we talk about crime today, it’s fundamentally different than the way that we talked about crime in bringing crime down. And I think that we all share the goals of having as low a crime rate as possible. I think that during lockdown, of course, rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today.’
McDaniel, a retired police officer and English teacher, argued that such comments are a deliberate attempt to rewrite history and distract voters from the Democratic Party’s previous embrace of ‘woke’ policies. He wrote that ‘Woke 1.0’ discussions amounted to ‘shut up, you racist!’ and that Democrats are now pretending they have no idea what ‘woke’ even means.
Conservative interpretation
American Thinker’s piece is unsparing in its criticism. McDaniel goes so far as to describe Ocasio-Cortez as having ‘fully embraced evil’ and suggests that her comments are part of a strategy to ‘distract us from its evil.’ He argues that Democrats have always supported communism but until recently understood ‘the need to be stealthy about it.’
The column also takes aim at Ocasio-Cortez’s affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). While she has denied being a member of the national DSA, she has admitted to being a member of the New York chapter—a distinction McDaniel calls ‘a distinction without a difference.’
McDaniel further claims that Democrats running for office have begun identifying as ‘Democratic Socialists’ while those in power try to separate themselves from the DSA platform—which he lists as including abolishing ICE and the police, closing prisons, packing the Supreme Court, and abolishing the Electoral College.
Broader political implications
Ocasio-Cortez’s comments arrive as she is widely speculated to be considering a run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. Her attempts to moderate her public stance on ‘woke’ issues could be seen as an effort to broaden her appeal beyond the progressive base.
However, American Thinker’s analysis suggests that such pivots are not genuine conversions but strategic maneuvers. ‘Woke isn’t dead. It’s merely disguising itself,’ McDaniel writes. ‘That’s why AOC wants us to forget what she and others have said in the past. That’s what evil does until it thinks there’s no need for the disguise.’
The column ends with a warning: ‘We can vote ourselves into communism, but always have to shoot our way out. AOC thinks she’ll be one of the few with guns.’
Whether Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks signal a genuine ideological shift or a calculated political move remains to be seen. But the reaction from the right suggests that her critics are unlikely to let her forget her past statements anytime soon.
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/aoc-forget-every-woke-thing-i-said/