Congressional hopeful Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a response to a Republican Congressman who wasn’t quite sure of “whatever she is.”
Rep. Ron DeSantis of Florida over the weekend called Ocasio-Cortez, running as a Democrat but who aligns as a socialist, “this girl Ocasio-Cortez or whatever she is.”
Ocasio-Cortez clarified for the congressman on Twitter.
Rep DeSantis, it seems you’re confused as to whatever I am.”
I am a Puerto Rican woman. It’s strange you don’t know what that is, given that ~75,000 Puerto Ricans have relocated to Florida in the 10 mos since Mara.
But I’m sure these new FL voters appreciate your comments! https://t.co/xJlroSe5Hs
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) July 23, 2018
Being a woman especially a woman of color in politics poses challenges even from fellow colleagues. Ocasio-Cortez, not yet even in Congress, is already learning this firsthand.
DeSantis made the comments, which HuffPost posted a video of, while campaigning in Florida. After making the initial remarks that drew ire, he proceeded to insult Ocasio-Cortez’s ideology and intelligence.
You look at this girl, Ocasio-Cortez or whatever she is, I mean, she’s in a totally different universe. It’s basically socialism wrapped in ignorance.”
She was complaining about the occupation of Palestine, and so someone’s like, ‘Well what do you mean by that’ And she’s like, ‘Well, I don’t know, I’m not an expert.’ Well wait a minute!”
DeSantis was referring to a recent interview Ocasio-Cortez did with PBS in which she referred to the occupation of Palestine,” a word choice that raised eyebrows.
She quickly clarified: Oh I think what I meant is that the settlements that are increasing in some of these areas and places where Palestinians are experiencing difficulty in access to their housing and homes.”
She also added that she is not the expert” and said, I’m happy to sit down with leaders on both of these for me, I just look at things through a human-rights lens, and I may not use the right words.”
DeSantis was not the only person to call out the 28-year-old Democrat for her blunder, but he used it as leverage to seemingly disregard her platform and tarnish her credibility entirely.
There’s never been a Palestinian state. You’re just repeating these canned, left-wing talking points, and you’re somehow the savior of the Democratic Party Good Lord. So she is, I think, the symptom of some of the problems that we have of really laying that foundation. She has no clue what she’s talking about. She doesn’t understand the principles of the Constitution. Hers is just, spout this talking point, or that.”
A spokesman for DeSantis doubled down on most of the remarks but did not touch further upon the girl” comment.
He “was expanding on the importance of education and his focus on getting the Constitution back in the classroom,” the spokesman told the Tampa Bay Times. “Socialist Ocasio-Cortez is a textbook example of someone who doesn’t understand the basic principles of our Constitution.”
In a huge upset, Ocasio-Cortez won her party’s primary in New York’s 14th congressional district in June. She successfully ousted incumbent Joe Crowley. If she wins the election she will be the youngest woman to serve in the House of Representatives.
