AOC is softening her old "abolish the police" talk, a sign she is positioning for a presidential run — which critics on the right read as proof she was never a real radical.

• She now brushes off her past calls to defund police as pandemic-era rhetoric she would not use today.
• Walking back the most radical positions is the classic move of someone preparing a national campaign.
• Critics argue she is not a radical at all but a recruiting tool, pulling young voters into the same party run by Schumer and Biden.
• The comparison drawn is Nancy Pelosi — an establishment figure closely tied to corporate interests, and the path AOC is said to be following.

Outlook: Expect more moderation from AOC as she tests the ground for a 2028 run, and more attacks from both the left and right calling it a betrayal.