AOC's Egg-Freezing Post Draws MAGA Backlash, Doctors Push Back

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 36, announced Sunday that she is freezing her eggs, documenting the process on Instagram, including a video of herself injecting hormonal medication into her stomach.

"Don't be weird about this," the New York Democrat said, "even though I know all of you will be."

Conservative commentators quickly criticized her decision. Podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey wrote on X that Ocasio-Cortez is "glamorizing the lie that women can have it all," adding that "biology is real." Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet said egg freezing is "one of the reasons why fertility rates are cratering" and claimed a pregnancy for Ocasio-Cortez "tomorrow" would already be "geriatric," incorrectly stating she turns 37 "in a few weeks" — her birthday is in October. Commentator Matt Walsh also criticized her age, saying he will have grandchildren by the time he is 50, while she would have a toddler.

Katie Miller, wife of White House adviser Stephen Miller, offered qualified praise, writing that "too many women buy into the feminist lie and spend their childbearing years climbing the career ladder."

Doctors interviewed by the Guardian said the criticism of Ocasio-Cortez's age was not supported by evidence. "Thirty-six is a ridiculous age to be saying, 'oh [egg freezing] will never work,'" said Dr. Carrie Bedient, a reproductive endocrinologist in Las Vegas. She noted that egg freezing success rates are highest at or before 35, but "you do not fall off a fertility cliff" at that age.

A 2025 UCLA Health study found the average age women freeze their eggs is just under 35, and that only 6% of people who froze eggs between 2014 and 2021 used them for IVF within seven years — in part, Bedient said, because many later conceive naturally or decide not to use them. Sidonia Buchtova, a physician assistant who founded Freeze.health, said the focus on unused eggs overlooks "the peace of mind that freezing eggs gives women."

Ocasio-Cortez, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said she wanted to "feel more in control" of her life and tied the decision to broader debates over women's health under the Trump administration. "I think it's important for us as leaders to have these conversations," she told ABC.