In the years since that Met Gala flashpoint, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become a symbol of the promise and peril of progressive politics in a celebrity age. Her impeachment push over Trump’s Iran strikes showcased her uncompromising moral vocabulary but exposed just how isolated she can be inside her own caucus. When even ideological allies refused to follow her down the impeachment path, it underscored a brutal reality: conviction without coalition can’t move power, only headlines.

At the same time, the ethics investigation into her “Tax the Rich” gown carved deep into her carefully built authenticity. The committee’s findings didn’t prove corruption, but they did reveal sloppiness and entitlement that cut against her brand. That contradiction — railing against privilege while navigating elite spaces — may haunt her longer than any floor speech. Whether she emerges as a matured leader or a cautionary tale now depends on her willingness to learn the hardest lesson in politics: ideals only endure when they survive contact with responsibility.