Shark Tank icon Kevin O’Leary didn’t mince words when discussing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during a segment on Fox News.
During his appearance on “The Story” on Monday, he called her “one of the worst managers” in his experience, and declared that he “would fire her” if he resided in her district.
O’Leary, a wealthy invester known for his Shark Tank fame, accused the New York congresswoman of allocating too much time to sharing posts on social media rather than delivering impactful results in Congress.
“I admire AOC for her marketing prowess,” O’Leary stated. “But she’s one of the worst managers I’ve ever seen.”
“If I lived in her jurisdiction, which to me is one of the worst managed in the country, I would fire her and hire somebody way better,” he continued.
Taking a specific jab, O’Leary remained critical of Ocasio-Cortez’s stance on Amazon’s potential second headquarters.
He recalled her decision to block the project in Queens, which he claims was at the expense of at least 10,000 potential jobs.
“She destroyed the opportunities of 10,000 people when she rejected the Amazon facility there a long time ago—I’ve never forgiven her for that,” he asserted.
Despite his criticism, O’Leary did acknowledge the congresswoman’s ability to generate small donations by leveraging her social media platform.
“I admire her ability to just get in front of her phone, post on social media, raise $10-15 dollars at a time by saying outrageous things over and over again.”
He then encouraged her constituents to question her accomplishments beyond her online presence by asking, “What has she done for you lately except post this stuff for social media?”
O’Leary’s pointed remarks followed Ocasio-Cortez’s recent criticism of Elon Musk, where she claimed the country has transitioned to a full-fledged oligarchy. “I think we are fully here,” she remarked last week.
Defending Musk, O’Leary painted the Tesla CEO in a favorable light, praising his ability to execute complex projects.
“(Elon Musk) is a guy who has incredible track record and amazing executional skills. He’s simply saying one thing, he’s gonna find a lot of waste in government.”
The investor suggested Musk’s robust global platform allows him to call out inefficiencies across the political spectrum, placing pressure on lawmakers to drive action. “I like this, this is interesting,” O’Leary added.
With President-elect Donald Trump set to assume the presidency in January, Musk, alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, has been tasked with leading DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency).
Their mandate centers on developing strategies to reduce government inefficiencies and cut federal spending.
Musk’s ambitious vision includes slashing approximately $2 trillion from the federal budget while simplifying regulations across the board.
Reports indicate that the White House will utilize DOGE as an external advisory group, working alongside the administration to identify unnecessary expenditures and recommend actionable solutions.
Proposed reforms are believed to focus on repeals, budget reductions, and administrative reorganization.
Musk and Ramaswamy also outlined DOGE’s framework in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, stating their intention to prioritize changes that don’t require new legislation but rely on existing executive powers.
“The two of us will advise DOGE at every step to pursue three major kinds of reform: regulatory rescissions, administrative reductions, and cost savings,” they wrote.
O’Leary, a native of Canada, expressed his interest in exploring ways to forge a closer economic bond between the U.S. and Canada.
His comments came after Trump floated a surprising proposal for Canada to join the U.S. as its “51st state.”
During an interview with Fox Business, O’Leary explained that Trump’s vision has Canadians abuzz.
“Canadians over the holidays—the last two days—have been talking about this. They want to hear more,” O’Leary said on Thursday.
While he acknowledged the hurdles associated with such a move, he maintained that the opportunity for uniting both nations presented massive potential.
“Think about the power of combining the two economies, erasing the border between Canada and the United States, and putting all that resource up to the northern borders where China and Russia are knocking on the door,” O’Leary suggested.
He proposed unifying the two nations under a shared currency, harmonizing tax systems, and granting free trade agreements to maximize economic growth.
“This could create a new, almost EU-like passport—I like this idea, and at least half of Canadians are interested,” he claimed.
However, O’Leary was critical of Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, stating Trudeau lacks the capability to spearhead negotiations.
O’Leary predicted Trudeau’s government would either collapse or face removal by Canada’s October 2025 elections.
“Nobody wants Trudeau to negotiate this deal,” he argued. “I don’t want him doing it for me.”
Earlier this week, Trump claimed that Canada would greatly benefit from absorbing into the United States.
The president-elect suggested in a holiday message on Truth Social that Canadians could enjoy a nearly 60% reduction in taxes and expanded opportunities for businesses.
“If Canada was to become our 51st State, their Taxes would be cut by more than 60%,” Trump’s post read.
He also highlighted enhanced military protection for Canada, along with the boost in economic growth that unification could bring.