Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the outspoken Democratic representative of New York’s 14th District, has a lengthy and embarrassing track record of supporting far-left causes and ideas. Her social media is filled with such hot takes, but she rarely faces the consequences of her words.
However, a recent video from Fox News has captured her reacting poorly when confronted with her own rhetoric. The video shows an older man wearing a mask, followed by a group of protesters, approaching AOC in an indoor mall. He accuses her of not acknowledging the Israel-Hamas conflict as a genocide. As she tries to leave, the camera reveals a group of protesters following her, filming her and criticizing her for not being as anti-Semitic as they are. AOC finally snaps at them, expressing frustration with their attempts to manipulate her words and being misrepresented. She tells them they are not helping the cause and walks away.
If this was any other politician, getting tired of being aggressively followed by pro-Palestinian protesters and finally losing her temper would not be surprising. But this is AOC. She has publicly advocated for socialism, gotten arrested for protesting outside the U.S. Supreme Court, and is well-known for her far-left views and ideology.
In fact, in a tweet from December 2020 that was recently unearthed by Twitter users Tim Murtaugh and Paul Szypula, she states that “the whole point of protesting is to make ppl uncomfortable…to folks who complain that protest demands makes others uncomfortable…that’s the point.” Murtaugh points out the irony, questioning why AOC wouldn’t embrace these protesters who are just following her advice. Szypula also reminds us that AOC herself advocated for this type of behavior.
The clip is a clear example of AOC not believing in her own words. In many ways, she is facing the consequences of her own actions and words. She encouraged protesters to make people uncomfortable in order to support leftist causes, and now she finds herself being hounded and harassed by leftists in public. These protesters are only following her advice. AOC seems to believe in this type of protesting when it is directed towards conservative figures, such as when Brett Kavanaugh was threatened by protesters outside his home or when conservative politicians were kicked out of restaurants. However, her attitude changes when the tables are turned, and she becomes the target of uncomfortable protesting.
The whole point of protesting is to make ppl uncomfortable.
Activists take that discomfort w/ the status quo & advocate for concrete policy changes. Popular support often starts small & grows.
To folks who complain protest demands make others uncomfortable… that’s the point.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 2, 2020
It is clear that AOC has no room to complain about being harassed by protesters in a mall when she herself has advocated for this very type of behavior.
She has created a persona of influencer/politician, and her rhetoric and advocacy have influenced this kind of public harassment disguised as protesting. As the saying goes, “you reap what you sow.” AOC encouraged and supported this obnoxious style of protesting, and she is now experiencing the consequences. As a wise man once said, “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”