AOC's Chances of Clinching The Dem Nomination See Slight Spike After Clapping Back Against Claims of Supporting Military Spending

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New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's chances of clinching the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 experienced a slight spike after clapping back against those falsely claiming she voted in favor of military spending.

AOC's likelihood of winning the Democratic nomination recently grew a full point, suggesting predictors believe she is improving her chances of being chosen as the party's next pick for president, according to the prediction market site Kalshi.

According to a live tracker of predictions for who will win the Democratic nomination, AOC's chances spiked from 13.9% Monday night to 15% as of Tuesday morning. Though she still remains four points behind current frontrunner California Gov. Gavin Newsom, her spike was larger than Newsom's, who gained just 0.2% in the same time frame.

The progressive lawmaker's jump in numbers follows her turning to X to push back against backlash after users began falsely claiming the lawmaker voted in favor of military spending, which AOC provided screenshots of proof that she voted "no" in addition to House records.

"Google is free. If you're saying I voted for military funding, you are lying. Receipts attached. Drag me for my positions all you want, but lying about them doesn't make you part of the 'left,'" she wrote. "If you believe neo-nazis are welcome and operating in good faith, you can have them!"

This comes days after she also experienced heavy backlash online for voting against Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's defense sending bill amendment to prevent sending $500 million to Israel.

AOC defended her vote, saying the Republican lawmaker's bill "does nothing to cut off offensive aid to Israel nor end the flow of US munitions being used in Gaza," citing how the money for Israel would have been used on a defensive missile system.

"I have long stated that I do not believe that adding to the death count of innocent victims to this war is constructive to its end. That is a simple and clear difference of opinion that has long been established," she wrote on Saturday, adding that her focus is on "cutting the flow of US munitions that ... perpetuate the genocide in Gaza."

The lawmaker's Bronx office was vandalized with red paint by pro-Palestine protestors over the weekend, who left behind a sign stating, "AOC funds genocide in Gaza," according to video captured by NBC New York.

AOC has vocalized her support for the people in Gaza, previously calling Israel's war in the region a "genocide" on multiple occasions and has previously called for an "arms embargo."

Newsom's lead as the top-predicted Democratic nominee comes after repeated ridiculing of Trump administration officials, Republican lawmakers and pro-MAGA influencers online. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and Texas Attorney General and candidate for Senate Ken Paxton are among some of the names subjected to jabs from Newsom over issues such as immigration and the Jeffrey Epstein files.

The California governor's chances of winning the presidential nomination saw a spike on July 12 after targeting Vice President JD Vance for taking a family vacation to Disneyland in California while he claimed Trump's administration was passing policies harming American families.

Meanwhile, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has held on to the last spot in the top three prospective candidates. Earlier this year, Buttigieg faced a tight race with AOC for the second-highest chances of winning nominee, though the gap between them has widened since late June.

The former Indiana mayor has continued to rail against the Trump administration's failure to reduce the cost of living, consistently resharing articles on topics such as inflation, healthcare costs and tax breaks for the wealthy.