The Munich Security Conference Marks the End of the US-Led Order
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World
/ February 17, 2026
The Munich Security Conference Marks the End of the US-Led Order
US politicians flooded the summit—but Europe no longer sees the United States as a reliable partner.
Carol Schaeffer
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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks on a panel on populism at the 62nd Munich Security Conference on February 13, 2026, in Munich, Germany.
(Sean Gallup / Getty Images)
Munich—There was one question the kept floating around the Munich Security Conference (MSC) this year. “Will this be the last one?”
The future of “Davos with guns” has never been more in doubt since its founding 1963 by the national-conservative publisher and World War II German resistance member Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist. President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he would invade Greenland and Vice President JD Vance’s antagonistic speech last year have made the transatlantic alliance feel more uncertain than ever. According to the headline of the official security report released by the conference, “the world has entered a period of wrecking-ball politics.”
This did not stop US lawmakers from making an appearance, especially Democrats, including several 2028 presidential contenders, who were eager to signal an alternative foreign policy to the one promoted by Trump. At one point, a panel attendee quipped, “It seems that Munich is the new Iowa.”
Among the Americans present were California Governor Gavin Newsom, who headlined several panels on climate change and security, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and perhaps most notably, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Current Issue
March 2026 Issue
In her first major trip abroad, AOC stepped onto the world stage. But for a politician that has built a progressive platform on criticism of US military interventionism and domestic policies aimed at benefitting the working class, her presence at MSC, widely considered to be the biggest international annual security event in the West and a major hub for hawkish military elites, seemed at first glance out of line with her values.
“I think the congresswoman shares a lot of that skepticism of traditional security institutions,” said Matt Duss, former foreign policy adviser to Bernie Sanders and an informal adviser to AOC on this trip to Germany. “But she clearly thought that there was value in coming to engage this conference, to listen, and to share a perspective that is very rarely heard at this kind of gathering.”
She and other Democrats were eager to call out Trump’s destruction of the transatlantic alliance.
“They are …
How is this acceptable?
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The Munich Security Conference Marks the End of the US-Led Order
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Current Issue
World
/ February 17, 2026
The Munich Security Conference Marks the End of the US-Led Order
US politicians flooded the summit—but Europe no longer sees the United States as a reliable partner.
Carol Schaeffer
Share
Copy Link
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Ad Policy
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks on a panel on populism at the 62nd Munich Security Conference on February 13, 2026, in Munich, Germany.
(Sean Gallup / Getty Images)
Munich—There was one question the kept floating around the Munich Security Conference (MSC) this year. “Will this be the last one?”
The future of “Davos with guns” has never been more in doubt since its founding 1963 by the national-conservative publisher and World War II German resistance member Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist. President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he would invade Greenland and Vice President JD Vance’s antagonistic speech last year have made the transatlantic alliance feel more uncertain than ever. According to the headline of the official security report released by the conference, “the world has entered a period of wrecking-ball politics.”
This did not stop US lawmakers from making an appearance, especially Democrats, including several 2028 presidential contenders, who were eager to signal an alternative foreign policy to the one promoted by Trump. At one point, a panel attendee quipped, “It seems that Munich is the new Iowa.”
Among the Americans present were California Governor Gavin Newsom, who headlined several panels on climate change and security, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and perhaps most notably, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Current Issue
March 2026 Issue
In her first major trip abroad, AOC stepped onto the world stage. But for a politician that has built a progressive platform on criticism of US military interventionism and domestic policies aimed at benefitting the working class, her presence at MSC, widely considered to be the biggest international annual security event in the West and a major hub for hawkish military elites, seemed at first glance out of line with her values.
“I think the congresswoman shares a lot of that skepticism of traditional security institutions,” said Matt Duss, former foreign policy adviser to Bernie Sanders and an informal adviser to AOC on this trip to Germany. “But she clearly thought that there was value in coming to engage this conference, to listen, and to share a perspective that is very rarely heard at this kind of gathering.”
She and other Democrats were eager to call out Trump’s destruction of the transatlantic alliance.
“They are …
The Munich Security Conference Marks the End of the US-Led Order
How is this acceptable?
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The Munich Security Conference Marks the End of the US-Led Order
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Current Issue
World
/ February 17, 2026
The Munich Security Conference Marks the End of the US-Led Order
US politicians flooded the summit—but Europe no longer sees the United States as a reliable partner.
Carol Schaeffer
Share
Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Email
Ad Policy
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks on a panel on populism at the 62nd Munich Security Conference on February 13, 2026, in Munich, Germany.
(Sean Gallup / Getty Images)
Munich—There was one question the kept floating around the Munich Security Conference (MSC) this year. “Will this be the last one?”
The future of “Davos with guns” has never been more in doubt since its founding 1963 by the national-conservative publisher and World War II German resistance member Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist. President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he would invade Greenland and Vice President JD Vance’s antagonistic speech last year have made the transatlantic alliance feel more uncertain than ever. According to the headline of the official security report released by the conference, “the world has entered a period of wrecking-ball politics.”
This did not stop US lawmakers from making an appearance, especially Democrats, including several 2028 presidential contenders, who were eager to signal an alternative foreign policy to the one promoted by Trump. At one point, a panel attendee quipped, “It seems that Munich is the new Iowa.”
Among the Americans present were California Governor Gavin Newsom, who headlined several panels on climate change and security, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and perhaps most notably, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Current Issue
March 2026 Issue
In her first major trip abroad, AOC stepped onto the world stage. But for a politician that has built a progressive platform on criticism of US military interventionism and domestic policies aimed at benefitting the working class, her presence at MSC, widely considered to be the biggest international annual security event in the West and a major hub for hawkish military elites, seemed at first glance out of line with her values.
“I think the congresswoman shares a lot of that skepticism of traditional security institutions,” said Matt Duss, former foreign policy adviser to Bernie Sanders and an informal adviser to AOC on this trip to Germany. “But she clearly thought that there was value in coming to engage this conference, to listen, and to share a perspective that is very rarely heard at this kind of gathering.”
She and other Democrats were eager to call out Trump’s destruction of the transatlantic alliance.
“They are …
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