Trump slams AOC over Taiwan response at Munich, says ‘I didn’t know she was stupid’

ROME, GEORGIA: President Donald Trump sharply criticized Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over her recent remarks at the Munich Security Conference, calling her response to a foreign policy question “career-ending.”

Trump made the comments Thursday while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled to Rome, Georgia.

Trump calls AOC’s Munich response ‘career-ending’

The president described Ocasio-Cortez’s performance at the conference as deeply disappointing and said he was surprised by her answer to a question about Taiwan.

“Her performance was horrible. I was surprised actually, I didn’t know she was stupid,” Trump said.

During the conference, Ocasio-Cortez was asked whether US troops would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. The New York Democrat did not give a direct yes-or-no answer. Instead, she said she hoped “we never get to that point” and emphasized the need to avoid confrontation through economic and global positioning.

Trump argued he would not have addressed the question directly.

“I would’ve just said ‘it’s none of your business right now.’ Because I wouldn’t answer that question. I wouldn’t respond to a question like that,” he said. “It’s war. When it comes to war you don’t talk about your strategies.”

He added that she could have deflected briefly and moved on, suggesting she lacked clarity on the issue.

Trump mocks Ocasio-Cortez and Gavin Newsom over conference appearance

Later, while promoting his newly branded ‘Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace’ and Board of Peace initiative, Trump broadened his criticism to include California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“When you see the representatives like Gavin Newscum. He didn’t know what he was doing… He didn’t know why he was there or AOC. She was unable to answer a simple question,” Trump said, using a nickname for the governor.

He also suggested Ocasio-Cortez could have taken a safer route in responding, saying she might have said she was studying the issue and would provide an answer later.

“I think it could be a career ending answer… It was not good,” he added.

JD Vance joins criticism of Ocasio-Cortez’s foreign policy remarks

Vice President JD Vance also weighed in earlier this week. Speaking on Fox News’ “The Story,” Vance described the exchange as “embarrassing.”

“If I had given that answer I would say, ‘You know what? Maybe you ought to go read a book about China and Taiwan before I go out on the world stage again,’” he said.

Critics also pointed to another moment during Ocasio-Cortez’s appearance in which she mistakenly referred to Venezuela as being located “below the equator,” drawing bipartisan scrutiny.

Trump doubles down on warning about discussing military strategy

Framing his remarks as a broader concern about national security, Trump said leaders should avoid publicly discussing military positions.

“It’s war,” he repeated. “When it comes to war you don’t talk about your strategies.”

The exchange has added to ongoing political debate over how US officials address sensitive foreign policy questions on international stages.