Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Attacks Tulsi Gabbard Over Impeachment Vote: ‘We Are Sent Here To Lead’

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attacked Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday night over Gabbard’s impeachment vote.

Ocasio-Cortez spoke out after Gabbard, a 2020 presidential candidate, voted “present” on impeachment articles against President Donald Trump. Gabbard also did not give a 30-second to one-minute speech about her vote as most of her Democratic colleagues did.

“Today was very consequential, and to not take a stand one way or another, on a day of such great consequence to this country, I think is quite difficult,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters Wednesday night after the vote, according to the New York Post.

“We are sent here to lead,” she added. (RELATED: Impeachment Has Been More Than Kind To Republican Fundraising: RNC)

Gabbard released a statement later Wednesday night explaining why she did not vote to impeach Trump.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - JULY 17: Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) speaks during the AARP and The Des Moines Register Iowa Presidential Candidate Forum on July 17, 2019 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Twenty democratic presidential hopefuls are participating in the AARP and Des Moines Register candidate forums that will feature four candidates per forum that are being to be held in cities across Iowa over five days. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) speaks during the AARP and The Des Moines Register Iowa Presidential Candidate Forum on July 17, 2019 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

“After doing my due diligence in reviewing the 658-page impeachment report, I came to the conclusion that I could not in good conscience vote either yes or no,” she said.

“I could not in good conscience vote against impeachment because I believe President Trump is guilty of wrongdoing,” Gabbard said, adding, “I also could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting President must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country.”

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