Former President Donald Trump stated that he believes U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) intends to run for president. Trump made these remarks in an interview with Fox News, suggesting that Ocasio-Cortez, like other progressive candidates, is attempting to moderate her earlier policy stances that he contends are causing political difficulties.
"I think so," Trump told Fox News when asked about Ocasio-Cortez's presidential ambitions. He referenced recent speculation fueled by her public announcement about freezing her eggs, which prompted discussions about her future political aspirations. Trump noted that Ocasio-Cortez recently described "woke 1.0" as "crazy," which he sees as a move to distance herself from comments that have become a point of contention for Democratic candidates.
Trump asserted that many left-wing candidates are making similar efforts to disavow past statements on issues such as crime and sanctuary cities. "But if you really look at it, they’re all saying the same thing. They’re all trying to disavow themselves from saying about crime and all, we love sanctuary cities. All of the things that they said they’re now trying to disavow," he told Fox correspondent Alexis McAdams.
During the interview, Trump also criticized Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed for his writings that compared American football to "toxic masculinity, colonialism and slavery." Trump sarcastically commented on the timing of such remarks in a state with a strong football culture, referencing the University of Michigan's prominent football program. El-Sayed, who attended the University of Michigan, wrote in 2021 about "the toxic masculinity at the heart of America’s most popular sport," despite having captained his high school football team.
Trump, who has emphasized illegal immigration in his political platform, predicted that Ocasio-Cortez's past support for sanctuary cities could become a significant obstacle. "I think you're going to see sanctuary cities start to end, because sanctuary cities are a disaster. And somebody like her, she was big for sanctuary cities," he stated.