Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is, once again, firing back at her GOP critics.
On Wednesday, the New York congresswoman returned to Twitter to address the allegations that she had lied about her experience during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. AOC recently opened up about the trauma of the deadly siege, recalling having to hide in her office bathroom as she heard a man—who turned out to be a Capitol officer, repeatedly scream, "Where is she?"
"I just thought to myself that they got inside," she said during the emotional live stream. "I really just felt like, if this is the plan for me, then people will be able to take it from here ... I thought I was going to die."
Shortly after the stream, far-right figures began accusing AOC of exaggerating her experience during the Capitol riot. Conservative news outlet RedState published a piece titled AOC Wasn't Even in the Capitol Building During Her 'Near Death' Experience, which was reshared by OANN personality/conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec.
AOC responded to Posobiec's tweet and the article, calling it a "manipulative take" that intentionally failed to tell the whole story. She acknowledged that she was not in the Capitol dome during her scary encounter, but was in her office on the U.S. Capitol campus. AOC reminded her critics that the pro-Trump mob had also targeted members of congress' offices, and that authorities had discovered multiple bombs planted blocks away from the dome.
"This is the latest manipulative take on the right. They are manipulating the fact that most people don’t know the layout the Capitol complex," AOC tweeted in response to Posobiec's post. "We were all on the Capitol complex - the attack wasn’t just on the dome. The bombs Trump supporters planted surrounded our offices too."
AOC said the RedState report and Posobiec's tweet further highlighted the GOP's attempt to downplay the horrific events of Jan. 6.
"It is also very damning and revealing that the GOP is now digging both heels in a discrediting campaign," she continued. "It’s because they know they are implicated, so they’re pivoting to (again) the classic abuse playbook of 'it’s not as bad as they say.' It was that bad. It’s actually worse."
Posobiec then shared a map of the U.S. Capitol campus that purportedly showed where AOC was at the time of the failed insurrection; however, AOC claimed the arrows on the map were not accurate, and that her accusers neglected to show the underground tunnels throughout the complex and failed to address the other areas that the mob had threatened.
AOC also used the moment to share a message for those who have dealt with trauma.
"To survivors of any trauma who worry about being believed, or that their situation wasn’t 'bad' enough or 'too' bad, or fear being branded or deemed'“manipulative' for telling the truth: I see you," she wrote. "Community is here for you. You are safe with me, & with all of us. You are loved!"
You can read AOC's full Twitter thread below.
