Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Thursday fired back at Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) for disputing the New York lawmaker’s harrowing experience during the violent insurrection at the Capitol last month that left five dead.
During an emotional Instagram Live on Monday night, Ocasio-Cortez outlined the trauma she experienced when then-President Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol building.
“And this was the moment where I thought everything was over,” Ocasio-Cortez told her viewers. “I mean, I thought I was going to die.”
Ocasio-Cortez also revealed that she is a survivor of sexual assault during her Instagram Live on Monday night as she became increasingly emotional over Republicans saying that it’s time to move on from the Capitol riots.
“And I haven’t told many people that in my life,” Ocasio-Cortez said on Monday. “But when we go through trauma, trauma compounds on each other.”
Three days later, Ocasio-Cortez accused Mace of issuing a “deeply cynical and disgusting attack” after the South Carolina Republican tweeted that none of the Capitol rioters stormed the hallway that their offices are located in.
Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that Mace had recalled barricading herself in her office during the Capitol insurrection.
This is a deeply cynical & disgusting attack, @NancyMace.
As the Capitol complex was stormed and people were being killed, none of us knew in the moment what areas were compromised.
You previously told reporters yourself that you barricaded in your office, afraid you’d be hurt. https://t.co/4FyWsaXSDx pic.twitter.com/7gW6yKO9gJ
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 4, 2021
Ocasio-Cortez dug into Mace further in subsequent tweets by questioning whether the South Carolina Republican will seek to discredit the harrowing accounts of those who aren’t lawmakers but had to clean up the shards of glass after the Capitol insurrection.
Ocasio-Cortez then accused Mace of “true damage” by discouraging survivors of the Capitol riots from speaking up about their experiences, knowing that leadership will “minimize” their accounts.
“How many survivors are watching her? Who now, seeing her, won’t get care or will feel further shame or silence? Who won’t speak up bc they know there are voices in leadership ready to minimize their experiences?” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.
Mace refused to apologize in a series of tweets shortly after Ocasio-Cortez’s thread calling her out. Mace accused Ocasio-Cortez of making false claims, being “triggered by facts” and denied discounting the New York Democrat’s experience amid rioters breaching the Capitol.
Hold up ✋
You seem to be triggered by facts so let me be clear:
I have not ONCE discounted your experience. It was harrowing for all of us.
FACT: Insurrectionists weren’t in our hallways. It’s your eagerness to politicize absolutely ANYTHING that deserves condemnation. https://t.co/9wXruBQfi0
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) February 4, 2021
Mace also brushed off Ocasio-Cortez’s rebuke by slamming her for “making this political.”
But now, in typical @AOC fashion, you’re making this political, even going as far as saying I don’t “hear” victims of assault — ME, of all people. You don’t know my story. SMH. Just stop it. https://t.co/Hrhg33gble
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) February 4, 2021
