Will Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez run for president in 2028? She has not even hinted at that, but from listening to Donald Trump and his MAGA friends talk about her non-stop, they are certainly scared of facing her. In this episode, Amanda talks about what precisely bothers Republicans about AOC and what they actually like about her. She also explains why Trump cannot separate AOC from Zohran Mamdani, who recently defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic primary. Standing Room Only's guest this week is New York Times contributing opinion writer Elizabeth Spiers.

From trolling the media to gaslighting the public, it's no surprise Donald Trump chose 27-year-old Karoline Leavitt as his new press secretary. In this episode, Amanda unpacks Leavitt's combative style with reporters, including scolding the press and calling their questions “stupid.” She also looks into her curious rise from White House intern to MAGA mouthpiece and examine why the tactics may backfire. There’s also the lie that Leavitt is an empowering role model and her questionable style. Communications specialist Kate Bernyk is this episode's guest.

What's wrong with a kid wearing cat ears or roaring like a lion at playtime? Texas Republicans and Gov. Greg Abbott don't like it and they have a plan to ban dress-up and other "non-human behavior" in schools. In this episode of Standing Room Only, Amanda details how a logic-defying culture war about litter boxes turned into a real bill aimed at forbidding kids from playing pretend at school. For the Pass the Mic segment, Imara Jones, journalist and CEO of TransLash Media, provides more context on why it's happening and how to make it stop.