‘The GOP knows’: AOC blasted Donald Trump over govt shutdown — and it landed harder than his campaign promises

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hit back at President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans on October 1, 2025, saying that even though they act tough, they are actually weaker than people think. The New York congresswoman shared her thoughts in an MSNBC interview that went viral fast, getting nearly 700,000 views in just a few hours.

In the interview, AOC said the Trump administration is abusing its power and breaking democratic rules. She talked about several recent problems, including the firing of a lawyer who said no to bringing charges against Trump’s political enemies and threats to send military forces into American cities. But she told people not to give up when facing these actions.

In her response to the viral interview, AOC wrote on X that “Republicans are jacking up healthcare costs across the country and Trump is FAR weaker than he looks.” She went on to say, “The GOP knows their popularity is tanking as the American people turn on their extremism.” The congresswoman then said, “We now have a chance to defend the healthcare of millions of Americans. Let’s take it.”

Trump is dealing with many political problems right now

New polls back up what AOC is saying about Trump’s popularity. Several big surveys from Quinnipiac, Associated Press, Gallup, Reuters, and Economist/YouGov show his approval ratings between 38% and 41%, while the people who don’t approve sit around 54% to 60%. Trump’s poll numbers have been dropping as his time in office goes on, with voters giving him bad marks on how he handles the economy, trade, and living costs.

The Trump team is also fighting legal battles over sending 200 Oregon National Guard members to Portland. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and state officials filed lawsuits saying Trump broke the law when he took control of the Guard without the right authority. Trump says he needs the troops to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement buildings from protesters, but local leaders say that’s not true.

At the same time, people are upset after U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert quit because Trump pushed him out. Siebert said no to charging New York Attorney General Letitia James with mortgage fraud after his team found no proof to support the claims. Trump then brought in Lindsey Halligan to replace him. She used to be his personal lawyer and has never worked as a prosecutor before.

Healthcare costs are becoming a big problem too. Republicans passed a law that cuts over $800 billion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act over ten years. The Congressional Budget Office says 4.2 million people will lose their health insurance because Republicans did not keep the extra help with premium costs that ends in December 2025. Many families will have to pay thousands of dollars more each year for their health insurance. AOC has been fighting hard against these healthcare cuts, keeping up her push for healthcare that everyone can afford.