Reluctant heroine AOC can't afford to waste any more time, because she 'can’t even tell you if I’m going to be alive in September'

Jennifer Lawrence may have gotten the cover story of Vogue’s October issue, but Dem Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a celebrated actress in her own right, has landed GQ’s October cover.

Presenting GQ's October cover star: @AOC. The congresswoman opens up on the critical need for men to join the fight for abortion rights, whether she believes she'll ever be president, and much more https://t.co/uwWSexYB8h pic.twitter.com/UqOnSNwZ2y

— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) September 7, 2022

this month’s ⁦@GQMagazine⁩ cover: I spent time over the summer talking with ⁦@AOC⁩ about the fall of Roe, men and masculinity, her time in Washington, and what comes next for both her and the progressive movement https://t.co/YLQoSoYO4Y

— Wesley (@WesleyLowery) September 7, 2022

Look at that photo. If we could build a monument to stunning bravery, it would look exactly like that.

Anyway, what an absolute honor it must have been to interview her. She’s just so brilliant, not to mention well versed in the American system of government:

In a GQ cover story, AOC theorizes about being president but is worried about the checks and balances of… the other branches of government. pic.twitter.com/WzR8JfLyrY

— Nathan Brand (@NathanBrandWA) September 7, 2022

Oh. OK, well, maybe she doesn’t really understand even the fundamentals of how our government works, but she’s so much more than just a politician, you know? She’s a real person. With real feelings!

"Ocasio-Cortez, who friends say has always been more introverted than she lets on, has, in understandable ways, grown even more. These days…, she avoids appearing in places where she’s forced to play her part; where she can’t just be herself."

😬https://t.co/0qlq0mVC6P pic.twitter.com/XikxjpUmzq

— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) September 7, 2022

Over the course of our conversations, the congresswoman typically answered in a confident, fast-paced patter—each sentence closely chasing the tail of the last. But now her speech slowed to a crawl and, for the first time in the hours we had spent speaking, she broke eye contact, burying her gaze in the arm of her chair. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes.

“I hold two contradictory things [in mind] at the same time. One is just the relentless belief that anything is possible,” she said. “But at the same time, my experience here has given me a front-row seat to how deeply and unconsciously, as well as consciously, so many people in this country hate women. And they hate women of color. People ask me questions about the future. And realistically, I can’t even tell you if I’m going to be alive in September. And that weighs very heavily on me. And it’s not just the right wing. Misogyny transcends political ideology: left, right, center. This grip of patriarchy affects all of us, not just women; men, as I mentioned before, but also, ideologically, there’s an extraordinary lack of self-awareness in so many places. And so those are two very conflicting things. I admit to sometimes believing that I live in a country that would never let that happen.”

She seems fun.

Friend: “Hey, wanna grab dinner this weekend?”

AOC: “I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF I’LL BE ALIVE THIS WEEKEND!” https://t.co/B7DOlCKeyJ

— MagnoliaPeach 🐶❤️🖤 (@magnoliapeach) September 7, 2022

Is she terminally ill lol

— Mr Gee (@gooseygee) September 7, 2022

No, she’s healthy as a horse as far as anyone knows.

Apparently what makes her unsure as to whether she’ll survive the month is the specter of possible assassination:

giving the timing, we focused on men and masculinity & AOC's personal experiences – so, less daily politics stuff. Appreciated the congresswoman being willing to go to some hard places: her own assault, misogyny in Washington, and her fear of assassination https://t.co/YLQoSoYO4Y

— Wesley (@WesleyLowery) September 7, 2022

Given her professed belief that we all only have a few years left before the earth melts completely and kills everyone, one would think she’d be a little more relaxed about the inevitability of death. But nope! She’s scared. For herself, at least. Not for any conservatives who have actually been in a would-be killer’s crosshairs.

"Realistically, I can’t even tell you if I’m going to be alive in September. And that weighs very heavily on me." – can someone square this @AOC comment with these other comments below? Someone travelled cross country to try to kill Kavanaugh. https://t.co/3QgzjUlJCI pic.twitter.com/g09EP6w4Be

— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) September 7, 2022

And she certainly hasn’t expressed any concern about the welfares of the millions of Americans who have effectively been labeled by the Biden administration as domestic terrorists.

Maybe she just can’t think that far outside of herself, bless her.

I would say this person is absurd, but that may be unkind since it appears that the reason for it is that she’s mentally ill. https://t.co/E1cvFYwfDd

— Extremely Leslie McAdoo Gordon ⚖️ 👠🇺🇸 (@McAdooGordon) September 7, 2022

What AOC needs right now is to start thinking about herself for a change. Practice some self-care.

amazing she's able to fit in all these media appearances with her busy legislative schedule.

she has a busy legislative schedule, right? https://t.co/IOHnGHt07k

— T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) September 7, 2022