AOC comes under verbal assault, subjected to obscene language - report

The verbal stand-off, between Cortez and Rep. Ted Yoho from Florida, took place against the backdrop of AOC's recent remarks about crime in New York

JULY 22, 2020 16:40

A woman passes by an electronic billboard in Times Square displaying, "Thanks For Nothing, AOC!", referencing U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and the pullout of Amazon's HQ 2 in New York City, U.S., February 21, 2019 (photo credit: BRENDAN MCDERMID/REUTERS) — A woman passes by an electronic billboard in Times Square displaying, "Thanks For Nothing, AOC!", referencing U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and the pullout of Amazon's HQ 2 in New York City, U.S., February 21, 2019

(photo credit: BRENDAN MCDERMID/REUTERS)

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) claimws that she had come under a volley of harsh words on the steps of the House, according to the Hill.

The verbal stand-off reportedly took place between Cortez and Rep. Ted Yoho (Fl.), against the backdrop of AOC's recent remarks about the increasing crime rate in some of New York City's poorest neighborhoods.

During a virtual town hall, which took place earlier in the day of the supposed incident, Cortez remarked that the sudden spike in

criminal activity is due to additional hardships inflicted by the coronavirus in areas that already suffered from problems such as over-policing or a high-rate of unemployment.

"Maybe this has to do with the fact that people aren't paying their rent and are scared to pay their rent, and so they go out and they need to feed their child and they don't have money," Cortez said.

Later, according to Cortez, her comments were twisted out of context and used against her.

"I say, 'Listen, I'm not talking about violent crime, I'm not talking about shootings. But when it comes to petty theft, a lot of these are crimes of poverty, and people are desperate,'" she clarified.

I never spoke to Rep. Yoho before he decided to accost me on the steps of the nation’s Capitol yesterday.Believe it or not, I usually get along fine w/ my GOP colleagues. We know how to check our legislative sparring at the committee door.But hey, “b*tches” get stuff done. ‍♀️ https://t.co/WlG3xccwR7
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 21, 2020

According to Cortez, what supposedly was the cause of the controversy was her mentioning of gun violence as part of her overall commentary: "So the right-wing cuts up this clip, per usual, in a very misleading way. ... They basically [want] to make it seem as though I'm saying people are shooting each other because they're hungry."

Likely angered by Cortez's comments, when walking down the steps of the House, Yoho allegedly used obscene language directed towards Cortez saying that she was "disgusting" and "out of her freaking mind" for thinking that the recent spread of criminal activity is to do with poverty and unemployment.

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Roho's spokesperson denied the accusations made by Cortez, suggesting that no harsh words were exchanged between the two and that Cortez is manipulating their conversation into her own personal benefit.