Left-wing host says AOC uses ‘Trump-like’ attacks on media critics in voting record dispute
Left-wing commentator Ana Kasparian said this week on an episode of "The Young Turks" that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., responded to her social media criticism with personal attacks after a public exchange on X centered on U.S. policy toward Israel and a reported plot targeting activist Nerdeen Kiswani.
Kasparian framed the response as emblematic of a broader pattern, comparing it to rhetoric often associated with President Donald Trump.
"She did respond to me, and she demonstrated that she does have some Trump-like responses to members of the media who dare challenge her," Kasparian said.
Kasparian pointed to a post Ocasio-Cortez published on X responding directly to her criticism in which the representative wrote that she had "never" supported the claim and accused Kasparian of lying for attention.
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"I never have. Feel free to continue lying publicly, though. Those checks don’t cash themselves, and you aren’t talented enough to be relevant with the truth," Ocasio-Cortez wrote.
The exchange began after Ocasio-Cortez issued a statement addressing a reported assassination plot, condemning the incident as political violence and confirming the suspect had been arrested.
"This is a reprehensible act of political violence. There is no place for it in our city nor our country," Ocasio-Cortez said. "I am thankful Ms. Kiswani is safe, and the assailant is under arrest."
Kasparian said her reply to that post was intentionally sarcastic and aimed at highlighting what she described as inconsistencies in Ocasio-Cortez's record on funding to Israel.
"You should vote to send Israel more money for weapons," Kasparian wrote back on X.
Kasparian explained that her criticism stemmed from frustration with Ocasio-Cortez’s broader approach to foreign policy and Democratic Party politics, while addressing Ocasio-Cortez’s accusation that she misrepresented her voting record.
"I’m sick of AOC being incredibly weak on things that she shouldn’t be weak on," Kasparian said. "If I found that I was wrong … that’s embarrassing, and I want to correct that mistake, but I didn’t make a mistake. She lied."
Kasparian then cited a 2021 House vote on additional funding for Israel’s Iron Dome system as a key example shaping her view, arguing that pressure from Democratic leadership influenced the outcome of that vote.
"Originally, AOC was on the right side. … She was going to vote no," Kasparian said. "Nancy Pelosi … pressures her to change her vote, and guess what? AOC changed her vote from no to present."
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Referencing footage from the House floor during the 2021 vote on additional Iron Dome funding, Kasparian described Ocasio-Cortez as visibly emotional after changing her vote from "no" to "present," a move she argued reflected political pressure from Democratic leadership.
"She’s clearly very visibly upset. … She later on confirms that she was in fact tearful and weeping," Kasparian said.
Kasparian argued that the vote change, which came after initial opposition to the funding, undercut the significance of dissent within the Democratic caucus and reflected a broader willingness to yield to party leadership.
"No one can force you to change your vote," Kasparian said. "You changed your vote because you got a little bit of pressure, effectively making your vote useless because you voted present. To cave to the likes of Nancy Pelosi shows a devastating level of weakness."