Ocasio-Cortez jabs GOP over ‘faux-outrage’
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., came to the defence of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., yesterday– denouncing what she called ‘‘faux-outrage’’ over profane language Tlaib used while calling for President Donald Trump’s impeachment.
‘‘Republican hypocrisy at its finest: saying that Trump admitting to sexual assault on tape is just ‘locker room talk,’ but scandalising themselves into faux-outrage when my sis says a curse word in a bar,’’ OcasioCortez wrote. ‘‘GOP lost entitlement to policing women’s behaviour a long time ago. Next.’’
Speaking directly to Tlaib, who on Friday became the first Palestinian American woman sworn in as a member of Congress, OcasioCortez added: ‘‘I got your back.’’
Ocasio-Cortez’s comments come in response to a wave of criticism aimed toward Tlaib, who spoke candidly during a Friday night reception for progressive group MoveOn.org. In a video that went viral, she used an expletive while vowing that the Democratcontrolled House would focus their efforts on removing Trump from office.
‘‘Don’t you ever, ever, let anybody take away your roots, your culture, who you are. Ever,’’ Tlaib told the crowd in the packed space. ‘‘Because when you [hang on to those things], people love you and you win. And when your son looks at you and says, ‘Mama, look. You won. Bullies don’t win.’
‘‘And I said, ’Baby, they’ don’t,’ because we’re gonna go in there and we’re gonna impeach the m-----------.’’
In her tweet, OcasioCortez seems to reference a recorded 2005 conversation between Trump and Billy Bush that emerged before the 2016 presidential election. In the video clip, Trump is heard bragging about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women.
‘‘And when you’re a star, they let you do it,’’ Trump said. He added, ‘‘Grab them by the p---- . . . . You can do anything.’’
Trump later brushed off the conversation as ‘‘lockerroom banter.’’
Although Ocasio-Cortez came to Tlaib’s defence, several of her democratic colleagues showed concern with the choice of words by the Michigan congresswoman. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., characterised the speech as ‘‘inappropriate’’ and potentially distracting and counterproductive for Democrats.