Journalist and commentator Megyn Kelly hinted at a potential presidential run if Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) enters the race, launching a sharp critique of the congresswoman’s remarks on masculinity and political rhetoric.
Kelly accused Ocasio-Cortez of fueling a “radicalized” narrative around young men, claiming her comments demonize male identity. “There was indeed one party that radicalized today’s young men, and it was yours, madam [AOC]. It was yours,” Kelly stated on her podcast and radio show. She argued that Ocasio-Cortez unfairly blames men for societal issues, saying, “Your side demonized them at every turn and laughed when they ever dared to express any actual pain at the circumstances that they were forced into through no fault of their own.”
The commentator further targeted Ocasio-Cortez’s criticism of “insecure masculinity” within the Republican Party, dismissing her perspective as disconnected from reality. “You don’t know any young Republican men, I guarantee you right now,” Kelly said. She also condemned what she described as progressive efforts to medicalize gender identity, stating, “It’s your side, your side, that wants to take non-trans children… and literally give them double mastectomies so that you can feel better about who you are.”
Kelly suggested her own political ambitions could be spurred by Ocasio-Cortez’s potential candidacy. “If she runs for president, I might run,” she said, adding, “I’ll find my way into the ticket somehow. There’s no way this person can run for president or be president. No.”
The remarks followed Ocasio-Cortez’s recent comments at a CNN town hall, where she alleged Republicans have “exploited and targeted a generation of young boys away from healthy masculinity.” Kelly countered that such claims ignore the complexities of male identity, stating, “Those young men are never going to look at AOC and say, ‘Oh, okay, she gets me now.’”
The discussion also referenced Ocasio-Cortez’s previous criticisms of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, which Kelly dismissed as hypocritical. “You are ‘insecure,’ apparently, if you are an actual man who doesn’t cower,” she said, framing the Democratic Party’s approach as alienating voters.