Stay awake against the woke

Published August 14, 2026 5:15am ET



There are two big points to make about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) suggestion that “Woke 1 was crazy.”

The first is that “Woke 1” inexorably suggests Woke 2 is on the way or already here. As with software, later versions of woke will be more sophisticated, but unlike software updates, the advances of woke will not be improvements.

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.