AOC Announces Decision to Freeze Her Eggs, Says She's Open to Presidential Run

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) this weekend announced that she is freezing her eggs as she shared a series of clips documenting her journey online. Many outlets speculated about what the decision could mean for AOC's political career, while some on the right were split in their support and criticism.

The Details: Ocasio-Cortez, 36, said she felt the decision could normalize conversations about women's fertility and help others facing similar decisions. She told viewers she'd been considering freezing her eggs for a long time and acknowledged what she called the "political risk" of publicly discussing the procedure. AOC also described the decision as taking back control over her body amid "an administration that wants to politicize our bodies." In an interview after the clips were posted, she said that she was open to running for president or the Senate.

Hypocritical: The Daily Wire (Right) was critical of her posts and suggested she was being hypocritical after telling young people to reconsider having children due to climate change and reproductive policies in the US. The outlet wrote the decision was "a notable shift in tone" as AOC "has long championed feminist causes, including abortion-on-demand." The Wire framed the discussion in terms of age and reproductive timing, saying "For AOC, the biological clock is ticking – and she knows it."

Praise for the Decision: Some outlets highlighted praise for AOC's decision and its potential to inspire other women to have children. The Washington Examiner (Lean Right) quoted Katie Miller, wife of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, saying, "Good for her for wanting to be a mother and preserving the ability to do so. If she inspires other women to want to become mothers, awesome we need more babies." The Examiner said AOC's announcement comes as the US fertility rate has continued a two-decade decline. Reason (Center)'s Liz Wolfe wrote, "God bless her. Having kids is a wonderful thing!"

The Rise in Egg Freezing: Data shared in Reason showed that the number of women freezing their eggs quadrupled between 2014 and 2021. Many outlets on the left, including CNN (Lean Left), CBS News (Lean Left) and Axios (Lean Left) listed reasons why women may freeze their eggs and said AOC was joining tens of thousands of other women who have also undergone the process. The National Review (Right) and Daily Signal (Right) both wrote that the decision for women to have kids later on in life are most likely due to a lack of having a partner or because they are with someone who does not want to be a parent.

Presidential Prospects: Many outlets on the left generally focused on what the announcement could mean for AOC's political prospects. The New York Times (Lean Left) said the ABC interview was AOC's "most public suggestion yet of aspirations for higher office." The Times described AOC's position among the Democratic party and the rise of socialist Democrats this year. The National Review suggested the announcement could be a political strategy as AOC attempts to make herself "look relatable" ahead of a presidential bid. The outlet wrote that her decision was probably "political and cynical," but argued that people shouldn't "start attacking women" for wanting to become mothers at any age.

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