Mark Halperin warned that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-NY) response to a question about defending Taiwan at the Munich Security Conference may have destroyed her presidential prospects.

In Munich, Ocasio-Cortez stalled for roughly 20 seconds before offering a substantive answer about US policy towards Taiwan and China, a stumble Halperin called a 'major screw-up' that could prove fatal to her White House ambitions. Halperin argued her lack of understanding or feeling about America's role in relation to Taiwan means she cannot answer the core question, suggesting the Democratic Party would never make someone the nominee if they couldn't grasp that issue.