'My choice is a threat': AOC fires back as egg-freezing backlash erupts

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is turning criticism of her decision to freeze her eggs into a broader argument over what conservatives expect women’s lives to look like.

The New York Democrat said her reproductive choice has become a point of conflict with people promoting marriage and having children young.

She made the comments in a 10-minute Instagram video on Thursday, August 13, documenting the sixth day of her egg-freezing process.

AOC says her choice has become a threat

“But what I do find funny is that my choice is a threat to them,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

She was responding to criticism that publicly discussing egg freezing promotes the idea that women can balance everything.

Conservative commentator Matt Walsh wrote Sunday that her decision was “totally backwards and ridiculous.”

Ocasio-Cortez rejected that framing by contrasting it with the lifestyle she said conservatives are trying to promote.

“You know, I find it very funny because the way of life that conservatives are trying to push out there, which is to marry young and have lots of kids at a young age,” she said.

The congresswoman has used the videos to make a personal reproductive decision part of a wider discussion about women’s health and reproductive care.

White House criticizes anti-IVF messaging

In a Sunday appearance on ABC News’ ‘This Week’, Ocasio-Cortez said she chose to share the process because of the political environment surrounding reproductive care.

“This administration is denying reproductive care to women across the country, from abortion rights to the ability to carry out a healthy pregnancy,” she said. “I think it’s important for us, as leaders, to have these conversations and share these processes.”

The reaction has also exposed disagreement among conservatives over whether attacking Ocasio-Cortez’s decision helps their broader message about encouraging families to have children.

A senior White House official told Axios, “We most certainly want to encourage more women and families to have children, period. That’s a diplomatic way of saying, ‘Yes, the Matt Walsh messaging is not helpful.’”

Another Trump adviser went further, saying, “This isn’t really a winner for Republicans.”

Katie Miller defends Ocasio-Cortez's decision

The White House position came even as Ocasio-Cortez’s decision drew criticism from Walsh and other conservative voices. 

Her Instagram posts have shown parts of the process, including a video Saturday in which she administered an injection.

Conservative podcaster Katie Miller, who is married to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, defended Ocasio-Cortez’s decision.

“If one woman wants to preserve her right to have children, which means more than having none—we should celebrate that. If she inspires other women to have babies, we should celebrate that,” Miller wrote online.

Ocasio-Cortez has also tied her decision to her broader record on reproductive issues.

She spoke out against the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v Wade and has urged more men to participate in abortion-rights efforts.

“For almost every woman that has gotten an abortion, there’s a man who has either been affected or liberated by that abortion too,” she said in a GQ interview at the time.