Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany traded blows Monday after the press secretary called Ocasio-Cortez an advisor to 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden.
McEnany discussed the “Defund the Police” movement at a White House press conference Monday afternoon where she criticized “sitting congresswomen,” including “Biden advisor AOC,” for “wanting to defund our police across this country.”
Ocasio-Cortez responded by suggesting that McEnany’s comment was “mired in racist history” and demanding an apology. Ocasio-Cortez accused the press secretary of erasing the fact that she’s a congresswoman.
“I’m a Congresswoman,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted at the White House press secretary. (RELATED: Ocasio-Cortez: Tara Reade Allegations ‘Not Clear Cut,’ But ‘Certainly Seems As Though Something Has Happened’)
.@PressSec wouldn’t be the first person to mistake a women of color for having a lower position or title than she does, but Kayleigh – in case you haven’t picked up a newspaper in two years, I’m a Congresswoman. https://t.co/3FRHo7dpTL
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 8, 2020
“The @PressSec comment is steeped in a long, hurtful, & horrendous history of stripping women of color of titles and diminishing them to ‘the help,'” Ocasio-Cortez added. “Perhaps she isn’t aware that what she did is mired in racist history. If that is the case, I look forward to her apology tomorrow.”
McEnany tweeted back at Ocasio-Cortez, “Read the transcript, Congresswoman,” with a screenshot of her own comments that highlighted the word “congresswomen.”
Read the transcript, Congresswoman @AOC ⬇️ https://t.co/knvCMmVjWh pic.twitter.com/q6uRWROYNA
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) June 8, 2020
White House director of strategic communications Alyssa Farah also emphasized to Ocasio-Cortez that McEnany did, in fact, note that Ocasio-Cortez is a congresswoman.
Verbatim quote by @PressSec: “POTUS is appalled by the ‘defund police’ movement. The fact that you have SITTING CONGRESSWOMEN wanting to defund the police—notably Rashida Tlaib, notably Biden advisor @AOC …” https://t.co/HH8bUxK3zF
— Alyssa Farah (@Alyssafarah) June 8, 2020
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