In a bizarre moment from an October 15, 2025, CNN town hall, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez dodged questions about challenging Sen. Chuck Schumer for his NY Senate seat amid the ongoing government shutdown.
For context, she said that the question was relevant to “horse race” talk. While speaking with Sen. Bernie Sanders, she rattled off classic Occupy talking points about housing, healthcare, inequality, and oligarchs. However, her gaffe, where she asked for “air that is drinkable,” set the internet ablaze.
In any case, Ocasio-Cortez began her confusing remarks by saying, “I, mean – no… I don’t think this is about anything.” Interrupting, the Vermont Senator said, “We have a country that is falling apart!”Seemingly snapped out of her trance by this interjection, the New York Democrat said, “This is what we’re talking about! This is what we’re talking about!”
Continuing, Bernie Sanders said, “We have a housing crisis, a healthcare crisis, an education crisis, massive income and wealth inequality, a corrupt campaign finance system, and the media says, ‘Are you gonna run? What are you gonna run for?’ Nobody cares!”
Building on this point, Bernis added, “Why do we have oligarchs on top who have more and more power every day? Let’s talk about that issue, not her own political future. She’ll decide that.”Picking up where he left off, AOC continued with an embarrassing gaffe.
Responding to Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez said, “I am sick of talking about these horse races” and “sick of leaders who only want to spend their time talking about that instead of talking about real issues that affect our lives.”
Finally reaching the part of her speech which went massively viral, the Squad member said, “Instead of talking about healthcare; Instead of talking about wages; Instead of talking about having air that is drinkable – I mean, air that is breathable and water that is drinkable.”
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As we reported, AOC lost her mind while reacting to a sensible policy from the Trump administration that would detain illegal immigrants who commit crimes. “Mr. Speaker, you may wonder why so many of our friends across the aisle who care so deeply about the rule of law happen to be so desperate to pass this bill after they are unleashing people who attacked police officers here on the on this Capitol, into roaming our streets, who are publicly saying now they want to get a gun,” she whined.
Suddenly deciding she cared about fiscal responsibility, she stated, ‘Suddenly, these folks care about public safety. I don’t think so. Look no further than the price tag of this bill, $83 billion
They know that it can’t be paid for.”
Still not done, she flagrantly smeared the Trump administration and accused them of being corrupt, saying, “They know that the capacity is not there. And you know what will be there? Private prison companies are going to get flooded with money.”
Concluding her comments, she described criminals as victims in her short-sighted comments. Cortez claimed, “It is atrocious that people are lining their pockets with private prison profits in the name of a horrific tragedy and the victim of a crime. It is shameful. It is absolutely shameful.”