U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks during a campaign rally in MichiganJose Juarez/AP
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez invoked the term “Woke 1.0” during her Sunday interview on ABC News’ This Week to refer to rhetoric many progressive circles used during some of the social movements of the late 2010s—but instead of engaging with them in a 2026 context, she dismissed them as ideas of the past.
If you missed it, the New York congresswoman backed away from some of her previously-stated positions—such as defunding the police—in her interview with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl. She said that many lawmakers and activists only used that rhetoric during the pandemic. “There was a huge opening of the Overton Window” to try to “entertain any and every policy that was going to get us to a better place.” She cited New York City council member Chi Ossé posting on X in May that “Woke 1 was crazyyyy” with some levity, seemingly brushing off the ideas as just part of the past.
“Rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today,” she continued, pointing to other progressives who have recently walked back remarks deemed by more moderate Democrats and conservatives as radical, such as Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong.
Ocasio-Cortez, who is no longer endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America’s National Political Committee, told Karl that she doesn’t support many of the positions on the DSA’s policy platform, ideas that Republicans have targeted in the lead-up to the midterms. AOC seems to be trying to come across as more presentable in front of a broader swath of the electorate.
While this may be valuable in future elections, it raises the question of what it says to those who elected Ocasio-Cortez and are still confronting the struggle of the late 2010s and previous decades. One can win votes without laughing off progressive discussions. What if the rhetoric of six years ago evolved into a more widespread, substantial reckoning? In 2026, it’s not enough to repeat the same rhetoric—let alone signal toward going backward.
AOC conflates “entertain[ing] any and every policy that was going to get us to a better place” with vital work from people who are fed up with the status quo. After all, these policy discussions are what helped get her elected in the first place.
