AOC Scoffs at Classified Briefing, Calls Trump Boat Strikes ‘a Joke’ [WATCH]

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., sharply criticized a classified briefing provided to lawmakers Tuesday on the Trump administration’s policy of striking vessels linked to narcoterrorism, dismissing the session as inadequate and unserious, as reported by Fox News.

Ocasio-Cortez made the remarks after leaving the briefing on Capitol Hill, where members of Congress were briefed on the administration’s use of targeted strikes against boats allegedly involved in drug trafficking.

Video of her comments was shared on X by MeidasTouch Network senior digital editor Acyn Torabi, showing her speaking with Migrant Insider editor Pablo Manríquez.

“Oh, hell no. That was a joke,” Ocasio-Cortez said when asked about the briefing.

She went on to argue that the session failed to meet the standard of other intelligence briefings lawmakers have received.

“There was not a single piece of intelligence that was shared that even rises to the level of any other briefing that we’ve seen on Ukraine, China, anything,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

She added that it “was not a serious intelligence briefing. This was a communication of opinion.”

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The congresswoman also suggested that the administration’s actions could require further congressional authorization.

She said if President Donald Trump’s “administration wants to go to war… they need to go get it from Congress. And if Republicans want to defend this argument that cocaine is a weapon, they can go vote on that. But… this is just conjecture at this point.”

.@PabloReports: Were you satisfied with the answers you’ve gotten so far in this classified briefing on Venezuela?

AOC: Oh, hell no. It was a joke. This was not a serious intelligence briefing. This was the communication of an opinion. pic.twitter.com/5rQpLMSv6F

— Acyn (@Acyn) December 16, 2025

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment following Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

The briefing addressed a controversial policy under which the Trump administration has authorized strikes against vessels accused of participating in narcoterrorism and large-scale drug trafficking.

Administration officials have argued that the policy is designed to disrupt transnational criminal networks that pose threats to U.S. security.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth participated in providing briefings to both Senate and House members on Tuesday, outlining the legal and intelligence framework supporting the strikes.

Not all lawmakers shared Ocasio-Cortez’s assessment of the briefing. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., offered a markedly different view during an appearance Tuesday on the Fox News Channel.

Kennedy said his takeaways from the briefing were that the strikes “are legal” and “effective,” and that they are based on “exquisitely good” intelligence. He also said safeguards are in place to prevent harm to non-combatants.

“There are checks and balances to make sure innocent people who just happen to be in a boat are not hurt,” Kennedy said.

The contrasting reactions underscore ongoing divisions in Congress over the administration’s national security and counter-narcotics strategy.

Supporters of the policy argue it represents a decisive response to international drug trafficking operations tied to organized crime and violence, while critics have questioned both the scope of executive authority and the intelligence supporting the strikes.

The administration has maintained that the targeted operations are limited, lawful, and focused on disrupting criminal networks rather than engaging in broader military conflict. No formal vote in Congress has been taken specifically on the policy.

As debate continues, the classified briefings are expected to remain a point of contention between lawmakers who support the administration’s aggressive approach and those who argue for greater congressional oversight and authorization.

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