Trump Gives Surprise Compliment to AOC: ‘She’s Got a Little Spunk’ — But Slams Her Socialist Agenda
In a rare moment of backhanded praise, President Donald Trump offered a surprising assessment of far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), acknowledging that the controversial congresswoman has “a little spunk” — even as he torched her radical philosophy as “bad for the country.”
Appearing on the debut of Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing, Trump was asked if he could say anything nice about the self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist. After a brief pause, Trump responded:
“Her philosophy’s so bad; she’s got a little spunk. She’s got a little something that’s good,” Trump said. “But her philosophy is bad for the country.”
Trump then recalled how AOC shocked the political establishment in 2018 by defeating then-House Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley, warning at the time that Crowley was sleepwalking into a loss.
“She ran against him, and I said, ‘Joe, you’re going to lose this thing unless you go out and campaign,’” Trump added. “She’s got a little something.”
Trump: “I’d Be Nice to AOC”
Though the two political figures have traded brutal jabs for years, Trump surprised many by suggesting he’d show civility in a face-to-face meeting — if one ever occurred.
“I don’t think I’ve ever met AOC,” Trump said. “But I would be nice to her also. I’m basically a nice person. People just don’t know that.”
The comment came as Sunday Briefing co-anchor Peter Doocy highlighted a passage from Kamala Harris’s upcoming memoir in which the former Vice President says Trump was surprisingly “nice” in person despite their bitter rivalry.
Trump responded by mocking Harris’s failed 2024 campaign, saying “I thought Kamala would’ve done a better job than she did in terms of running, because we really won by a lot.”
AOC’s Presidential Ambitions?
The exchange comes amid speculation that Ocasio-Cortez may seek higher office in 2028. A recent Axios report indicated that the far-left firebrand is weighing a presidential run or a possible Senate primary challenge — potentially even against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) if he runs for re-election.
Trump dismissed the idea of an AOC presidential bid as doomed from the start.
“I don’t think her philosophy can come close to winning,” he said bluntly.
A History of Hostility
Trump and Ocasio-Cortez have long been ideological enemies. After surviving an assassination attempt last year in Butler, Pennsylvania, AOC refused to back down from calling Trump a “fascist.” She has accused him of everything from racism to rape and has routinely branded his supporters as extremists.
Wow who would have thought that electing a rapist would have complicated the release of the Epstein Files?
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 11, 2025
Trump, in return, has blasted her intelligence, often calling her “one of the dumbest people in Congress” and mocking her past as a bartender.
Despite their sharp rhetoric, the moment of unexpected courtesy on Fox News offered a rare glimpse of political restraint from both sides — even if only temporary.