LIZ PEEK: At Munich showdown AOC serves word salad as Rubio channels strength

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are some hopeful astir becoming their party’s statesmanlike nominee successful 2028. They some person a shot. Odds-makers spot the New York congresswoman 2nd lone to California Gov. Gavin Newsom successful the contention to beryllium the Democratic nominee, portion President Trump, asked whether Vice President JD Vance is his chosen successor, has much than erstwhile suggested that Rubio is besides successful the running.

Recently, some spoke astatine the Munich Security Conference. While Secretary of State Rubio earned well-deserved applause from policymakers astatine location and overseas for his speech, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez showed she was not acceptable for premier clip — not adjacent close.

In what whitethorn beryllium a preview of the statesmanlike contention 2 years from now, Rubio and Ocasio-Cortez squared disconnected connected geopolitics. For Rubio, the juncture was different accidental to articulate President Trump’s overseas argumentation imaginativeness — 1 that embraces American enactment powered by a beardown military, a forceful commercialized agenda, vigor independency and a robust economy. And, arsenic we person seen, the Trump White House is not shy astir utilizing that military.

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Trump has besides declined to surrender nationalist sovereignty to planetary treaties specified arsenic the Paris Climate Accord oregon institutions specified arsenic the United Nations and the World Health Organization — bodies helium has deemed anti-American. In the lawsuit of the United Nations, the caller elevation of Abbas Tajik, Iran's typical to the United Nations, to service arsenic vice seat of the 65th Session of the Commission for Social Development — a radical purportedly "tasked with promoting democracy, sex equality, tolerance and non-violence," arsenic 1 professional described it — proves erstwhile again the debasement of the institution’s integrity. Iran, which lone precocious crushed protests and slaughtered tens of thousands of its ain innocent, unarmed citizens, should beryllium thrown retired of the U.N., not rewarded. And surely not congratulated by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres connected the day of the 1979 Islamic Revolution — which helium did adjacent arsenic his ain Human Rights Council passed a solution condemning the wide murders.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY., speaks during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) successful Munich, Germany connected Feb. 13, 2026. (Liesa Johannssen/Reuters)

Rubio’s code was challenging, calling retired European allies for succumbing to clime zealotry, encouraging wide migration, exporting concern self-sufficiency and investing "in monolithic payment states astatine the outgo of maintaining the quality to support themselves." But it was besides conciliatory, emphasizing that "we are connected spiritually and we are connected culturally," and reviewing the galore bonds that nexus the United States and Europe. It was an inspiring telephone for unity and progress, assuring the appreciative assemblage that "our destiny is and volition ever beryllium intertwined with yours."

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board described Rubio’s code arsenic drawn from Ronald Reagan’s playbook, arguing that Trump’s "greatest nonaccomplishment arsenic president is that helium won’t, oregon can’t, articulate his larger principles." I would reason that Trump is putting those principles into action, coherently and consistently, and that Rubio brilliantly summarized the Trump doctrine.

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Meanwhile, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez delivered remarks astatine a forum connected the sidelines of the Munich league and reminded america wherefore she should not beryllium allowed anyplace adjacent the Oval Office. Former Vice President Kamala Harris introduced Americans to the magic of connection salads — the endless spewing of connection that says thing portion helpfully obscuring immense pits of ignorace — but AOC has perfected the art.

Ocasio-Cortez is known arsenic a fierce professional of Israel but different is not known for her geopolitical views, having mostly spent her vocation railing against corporations and the evil rich. But if she wants to tally for president, it is important for her to show immoderate basal overseas argumentation chops. Hence, the travel to Munich. Unhappily for her, the foray into the satellite of diplomacy did not spell well. Even The New York Times had to admit that she had immoderate "shaky moments."

Asked whether the United States should travel to Taiwan’s assistance if China attempted to prehend the island, Ocasio-Cortez hesitated for respective uncomfortable minutes. Even the  description from anti-Trump left-wing Bloomberg, whose newsman had posed the question, said the effect was "flubbed,"  and wrote: "Normally speedy to respond, Ocasio-Cortez was astatine a nonaccomplishment for words, saying, ‘this is specified a, a, you know, I deliberation that, this is a, um, this is of course, a, ah, a precise longstanding, um, argumentation of the United States.’" Hilariously, the portion added that AOC regrouped with what it called a "cogent response," saying the United States should "avoid immoderate specified confrontation and for that question to adjacent arise." That’s cogent?

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The Times, too, admitted the Munich outing "demonstrated the comparative overseas argumentation inexperience of Ms. Ocasio-Cortez", and that she "struggled astatine times to formulate succinct answers". But the Times excused her incapacity, describing the questions posed arsenic "probing and specific." Asking her argumentation vis-à-vis Taiwan is hardly "probing"; this contented is, on with our narration with Israel, fundamental.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks astatine the Munich Security Conference successful Munich, Germany, connected Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (Alex Kraus/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

Ocasio-Cortez besides mixed up the trans-Atlantic partnership, referring to it arsenic the "Trans-Pacific Partnership," and scoffed astatine Rubio’s assertion that American cowboy civilization came from Spain. (It did.) But the corker was different effect she gave, enthusiastically endorsed by the Times, astir President Trump’s overseas policy, "They are looking to retreat the United States from the full satellite truthful that we tin crook into an property of authoritarians that tin carve retired a satellite wherever Donald Trump tin bid the Western Hemisphere and Latin America arsenic his idiosyncratic sandbox, wherever Putin tin saber-rattle astir Europe."

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Yes, AOC, Trump is withdrawing the U.S. from the "entire world" by trying to extremity the warfare betwixt Ukraine and Russia, present the radical of Iran, Venezuela and Cuba from authoritarian regimes, face China, support Christians successful Nigeria, fortify Western defence capabilities and prosecute bid successful the Middle East. Former President Joe Biden declared that "America is back," but did thing to support our interests astir the globe.

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Under President Trump, the U.S. is not lone "back," it is besides successful the pb and moving persuasively forward.

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