The Matt Walsh Show

Episode 1735 – AOC Utterly Humiliates Herself On The World Stage
Date: February 17, 2026
Host: Matt Walsh (The Daily Wire)

Overview – Episode Theme

In this episode, Matt Walsh offers a scathing critique of progressive responses to his new documentary series, "Real History," focusing especially on the Atlantic’s negative review. He also dissects Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (AOC’s) performance at the Munich Security Conference, portraying it as an embarrassment for the Democratic Party on the world stage. Further, the episode touches on issues such as leftist attitudes toward Western history, culture, and identity politics, with additional commentary on recent news stories related to mass shootings, cancel culture, and more.

Key Segment Breakdown and Highlights

1. "Real History": Leftist Backlash and Media Manipulation

[00:21–13:00]

• Matt Walsh’s New Series:
  Launches new Daily Wire series, Real History, aiming to counter "leftist distortions" of American and Western history, particularly on slavery.
• Response Patterns:
  Observes a pattern in leftist responses: either ignore or misrepresent conservative documentaries (“low-effort, dishonest articles”).
• Atlantic Magazine Review:
  Quotes and dissects the Atlantic’s critique, challenging their claim that he downplays the brutality of slavery:

  “...there's absolutely nothing in the episode or any episode of the series that relentlessly downplays the brutality of slavery in the United States. That never happens.” [09:17]

• Truth Vs. Narrative:
  Accuses the Atlantic of ignoring the larger global context of slavery and promoting partisan narratives.

  “It's the fake intellectuals on the left, people like the writers of the Atlantic who've been downplaying the reality of the African and Ottoman slave trade for generations.” [11:46]

• Main Point:
  The left allegedly ignores uncomfortable truths to maintain political power, while Real History seeks to reveal “deliberately hidden” facts.

2. AOC’s ‘Disastrous’ Debut at the Munich Security Conference

[13:00–22:15]

• Expectations Set High:
  Compliments the extensive preparation AOC underwent for her “global debut,” playing up expectations set by her team and the Washington Post coverage.
• First Gaffe – Geography Mishap:
  AOC incorrectly claims U.S. actions against Venezuela were motivated by it being “below the equator,” which Walsh snidely refutes:

  “Venezuela is in fact above, it is north of the equator. And somehow... no one ever informed AOC of this very problematic fact.” [13:43]

• Cowboy Culture Faux Pas:
  Responds to Marco Rubio’s speech on Western culture (“cowboys originated in Spain”), with AOC implying Mexicans and African descendants deserve more credit.
• Matt’s Commentary:
  Calls it a “stupid onion”—layers of error—mocking AOC’s own last name (Cortez) and lack of basic historical knowledge:

  “She shares a name with the Spanish conquistador who brought horses to Mexico... and yet she's apparently under the impression that cowboys... have nothing whatsoever to do with Spain.” [15:27]

• Quote, Matt Walsh:

  “There are just so many layers to the stupidity here. It's a stupid—it’s an onion of idiocy.” [15:27]

• AOC’s Marxist Framework:
  AOC argues for a material, class-based approach to culture. Walsh calls this “textbook Marxism filtered through the brain of a very dumb cocktail waitress.” [19:38]
• Matt’s Elevator Hypothetical:
  Illustrates the importance of culture over class by comparing hypothetical interactions with Americans vs. foreigners of similar socioeconomic status.

  “If you got stuck in an elevator with a middle class North Korean, you couldn't talk about any of those topics...” [20:45]

3. Identity Politics and the ‘Impossibility’ of White Culture

[22:15–29:00]

• AOC on Whiteness:
  AOC distinguishes “whiteness” as imaginary versus real cultural identities like German, Italian, English:

  “There's a very big difference between whiteness and... real... heritages that are based on values.” [22:15]

• Walsh’s Critique:
  Points out the inconsistency—asks why “blackness” and “whiteness” are treated differently on the left:

  “AOC will insist that brown people are real and black people are real and... people of color... even though we all have color, are real and yet whiteness... is imaginary.” [22:54]

• Senate Hearing Exchange:
  Plays/delivers quotes from a hearing where Sen. Chris Murphy presses Jeremy Carl on defining “white identity,” while white identity is treated as suspect but black identity is accepted without question. ([25:05–26:41])

  • Murphy: "Tell me how you define white identity..."

  • Carl: "...white church is very different than the black church in terms of its tone and style. On average, food ways could often be different."

4. AOC’s Wealth Tax Plan Critiqued

[30:35–31:39]

• Wealth Tax Backfires:
  AOC supports a wealth tax, but is schooled by an Argentinian politician who lists the economic consequences and historical failures in Latin America:

  “You have the recipe that many Latin American countries applied... All these recipes... then goes with inflation, shortage, then you have more poverty and the cycle goes and goes.” [31:08]

5. Munich Conference – International Contrasts

[32:06–37:00]

• Tensions with European Leaders:
  Plays a contentious exchange involving the Czech Deputy Prime Minister, arguing Democrat cultural policies went "too far" (e.g., only two genders). Hillary Clinton and AOC attempt to push back, but are portrayed as incoherent and flustered.
• Rubio’s Vision for the West:
  Quotes rather lengthy excerpt from Marco Rubio’s speech emphasizing Western civilization’s shared culture, heritage, and the need to reject guilt and shame. ([34:51])

  • Rubio: “We want allies who are proud of their culture and of their heritage, who understand that we are heirs to the same great and noble civilization...” [34:51]

• Matt’s Analysis:
  Contrasts Rubio’s "thorough and coherent" defense of Western culture with Democrats’ “incoherent rants about cowboys and the equator and transgenderism and Ukraine.”

  “They don't even know what they're saying. They don't believe what they're saying.” [37:05]

6. Western Civilization—A Tradition of Exploration

[After 37:05]

• Personal Anecdote:
  Walsh shares getting a first edition of Robert Peary’s "The North Pole," linking polar exploration to Western civilization’s uniqueness and drive.

  “It’s the people who explored and discovered the entire world and beyond. And again, this is almost entirely unique to Western civilization.” [~40:00]

7. Other Headlines and Current Events

(Quick commentary, not main focus)

• Trans Mass Shooting in Rhode Island:
  Describes a recent mass shooter who identified as trans, connecting it broadly to Walsh’s argument that trans ideology is a “public safety hazard.” [44:00+]
• HGTV’s Nicole Curtis Cancelled for Racial Slur:
  Discusses the fallout after an old video surfaced; ridicules the spectacle of apologies and ongoing culture of cancellation.

  “It's just a word... It's a word that... people who pretend to be most offended by it use the most often. So the whole thing is a farce.” [67:39]

8. Quote & Memorable Moments

• On AOC at Munich:

  “This is textbook Marxism filtered through the brain of a very dumb cocktail waitress.” — Matt Walsh [19:38]

• On “Whiteness” vs “Blackness”:

  “AOC will insist that brown people are real and black people are real and even people of color... are real and yet whiteness... is imaginary.” — Matt Walsh [22:54]

• On the Left’s Self-Contradiction:

  “Their ideology is incoherent. They have no idea what they stand for or how to construct even the most basic argument about anything.” — Matt Walsh [12:37]

• On Rubio’s Speech:

  “No Secretary of State... has articulated a vision as important as this... a study in contrast.” — Matt Walsh [37:05]

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• AOC geographical gaffe:

  “So we only took out Maduro in Venezuela because of the location of its country, which is south of the equator.” — AOC [13:23]
  “Venezuela is in fact above, it is north of the equator.” — Matt Walsh [13:43]

• Matt Walsh on AOC’s response to Rubio:

  “Her name... her name is, as you know, Cortez. So she shares a name with the Spanish conquistador who brought horses to Mexico in 1519...” [15:27]

• AOC on culture:

  “Culture is changing. Culture always changed... And so the response that we have to have is again, it's material, it's class based, it's common interest.” — AOC [18:54]

• Rubio’s speech–defense of Western Civilization:

  “We are part of one civilization, Western civilization. We are bound to one another by the deepest bonds that nations could share, forged by centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture, heritage, language, ancestry...” — Rubio [34:51]

Conclusion & Final Thoughts

Walsh ends with strong assertions about the exceptionalism and indispensability of Western civilization, framing the ideological conflict as a battle between truth and incoherence. He insists that the best strategy is exposing leftists to their own contradictions until they are "so humiliated" they "never show their faces on the international stage" again. The episode closes with typical sardonic observations on cancel culture, the left’s hypocrisy, and the ongoing need for a clear, unapologetic defense of “real history."

This summary captures all the central themes and memorable moments from Matt Walsh’s episode, with key quotes and timestamps for major segments. For listeners and non-listeners alike, it provides clear context on the heated debates surrounding American history, Western culture, and the current state of U.S. political discourse.