Bishop Robert Barron criticized remarks by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez about Western culture, saying her description of culture as “thin” reflected what he characterized as a Marxist framework.
Barron made the comments in a video posted on X on Feb. 16, responding to Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks during a discussion at the Technical University of Berlin the previous day.
“I saw Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez answering him, and I was very struck by her answer,” Barron said. He described her critique of appeals to Western culture as “right out of the Marxist playbook,” adding, “to characterize culture as thin is a Marxist move.”
Barron was referring to comments Ocasio-Cortez made about a speech delivered by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference. Rubio said in that speech that “the entire romance of the cowboy archetype that became synonymous with the American West — these were born in Spain.”
"Our horses, our ranches, our rodeos – the entire romance of the cowboy archetype that became synonymous with the American West – these were born in Spain"
— Joni Job (@jj_talking) February 15, 2026
AOC "SPANISH?" 🤡
"They want the culture, but it's very thin!"
Rubio huge standing ovation 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/Fz0Kjnhzh7
At the Berlin event, Ocasio-Cortez criticized Rubio’s emphasis on Western culture and said its foundation was weak. “I think it’s also important to note how thin that foundation is,” she said. “Culture is changing. Culture always changed. Culture, for the entire history of human civilization, has been a fluid, evolving thing that is a response to the conditions that we live in.”
AOC slams Rubio's pro-West speech & calls for "class based internationalism" instead pic.twitter.com/xQERTqa5ji
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 15, 2026
Barron disputed that interpretation, citing what he described as enduring elements of Western culture, including legal and political traditions and the role of Christianity. He said Marxist theory treats culture as secondary to economic conditions and class struggle.
“Marx said that culture is simply an epiphenomenal superstructure on top of the economic substructure,” Barron said. “Don’t be distracted by the culture. That’s just protecting the economics at bottom.”
Barron also criticized New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of using language associated with Marxist ideology. Barron encouraged followers of Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez to speak with people who fled communist governments or who live under them today, citing Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela.
“I encourage followers of Mayor Mamdani and AOC, talk to some of them, they’re still alive, the people that fled Marxist tyranny in Europe, people laboring under it to this day in Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela,” Barron said.
A recent statement by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez illuminates the Marxist ideology which continues to take hold of American politicians. Here are my thoughts. pic.twitter.com/Edgy0smzeb
— Bishop Robert Barron (@BishopBarron) February 16, 2026
Barron said his concerns were rooted both in politics and in religion, arguing that Marxist movements historically targeted religious institutions. “The first thing that the Marxist tyrannies went after, in most cases, was religion,” he said.
