U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brought her progressive views to the world stage Friday as she pitched “working class-centered politics” during a panel on populism at the Munich Security Conference.
The New York Democrat emphasized that focusing on the working class offers a way to connect with disaffected voters who are frustrated by economic uncertainty and said that this strategy will help “stave off the scourges of authoritarianism” domestically and globally.
Ocasio-Cortez’s presence at the conference was among her highest-profile appearances in a foreign affairs setting. Her invitation was seen as a deliberate counterpoint to Vice President JD Vance’s visit to the conference last year, when he criticized what he called Europe’s “retreat” from its core values.
Ocasio-Cortez slammed the Trump administration for creating a rift between the U.S. and Europe, which she said face similar challenges. She argued that extreme income inequality and the failure of democracies to deliver higher wages and corporate accountability contribute to social instability, the rise of authoritarianism and dangerous domestic politics.
“It is of utmost urgent priority that we get our economic houses in order and deliver material gains for the working class, or else we will fall to a more isolated world governed by authoritarians that also do not deliver to working people,” she said.
Several other Democratic presidential hopefuls were set to show off their foreign affairs credentials at the conference, a gathering that has grown to have nearly as much to do with domestic politics as it does with global security.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Ocasio-Cortez largely disageed with Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, during a “nightcap” panel as he defended Trump’s use of tariffs, the United States’ relationships with its allies and the administration’s broad approach to foreign policy.
“The damage that has been done from alienating allies through tariffs, I think is going to take a long time to recover from, and that will continue to vex us as a nation,” Whitmer said.
Earlier, California Gavin Newsom argued on the main stage that Trump is trying to “turn back the clock” on climate change as he highlighted the Environmental Protection Agency’s revocation this week of Obama-era restrictions on climate pollution. But he also tried to reassure Europeans that California remains an ally, and emphasized that leaders must stand up to Trump’s agenda. “Donald Trump is temporary; he’ll be gone in three years,” Newsom said. “California is a stable and reliable partner in this space and it’s important for folks to understand the temporary nature of the current administration.” The conference is viewed as a major global forum on foreign policy and international security issues and brings together heads of state, defense ministers and foreign policy leaders from around the world. Additional topics on the agenda include security cooperation, the war in Ukraine and rebuilding trust between the United States and its allies.
Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at CNN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics. Recommended
