AOC on defense in final re-elex debate
Mask-on face-off
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was forced to defend her help in torpedoing Amazon’s thwarted plan to open a massive headquarters in Queens while coming under withering attack from her chief Democratic primary rival Michelle Caruso-Cabrera during the final debate before Tuesday’s primary vote.
The first-term incumbent squared off with Caruso-Cabrera and Badrun Khan during the faceto-face debate sponsored by the Parkchester Times and BronxNet on Wednesday night.
Democratic socialist AOC and former business journalist Caruso-Cabrera donned face masks and sat at tables opposite each other to abide by social-distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic. A masked Khan sat between them at the Golden Palace.
Caruso-Cabrera pounced immediately during her opening statement, noting that AOC initially sought to duck the debate before agreeing to show up and was actually “embarrassed” by her record.
“You voted against your community,” Caruso-Cabrera said, referring to AOC being the only Democrat to vote against the Payroll Protection Plan that includes funds for hospitals and COVID-19 testing.
Then she slammed AOC for staying at her Washington, DC, apartment in March instead of being in the Bronx-Queens 14th Congressional District.
“At the height of the crisis while our constituents were dying, you didn’t come home even though Congress wasn’t in session,” Caruso-Cabrera zinged.
“That’s false!” AOC interjected. “AOC was MIA,” Caruso-Cabrera said.
AOC responded that Caruso-Cabrera was “obsessed, obsessed” that she spent six days in DC when she fell ill and continued to perform her duties, including raising $850,000 for relief efforts.
Caruso-Cabrera scoffed at AOC raising $850,000 while noting the congresswoman’s opposition to Amazon’s aborted plan to open a campus alongside the Queens waterfront projected to generate 25,000 jobs and $27 billion in revenue.
“The $850,000 is the least you can do after throwing out $27 billion in tax revenue,” she said.
AOC then turned the table on her opponent — painting Caruso-Cabrera, a former Republican, as a tool of President Trump.
“Ms. Caruso-Cabrera lived in Trump Tower until six months ago,” AOC said. “She’s been a registered Republican virtually her entire life. She’s financed by Trump donors and financed by Trump advisers. Be careful.”
AOC defended her opposition when asked by moderator Gary Axelbank if she regretted her role in scuttling the project.
“Twenty five thousand jobs . . . Those jobs were not coming,” the congresswoman said.