Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed NBC News early Tuesday after the network posted what she described as a misleading tweet about her Democratic National Convention (DNC) speech.
Ocasio-Cortez spoke for one minute at Tuesday’s virtual DNC and seconded the nomination of Democratic Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. The New York congresswoman did not mention former Vice President Joe Biden during her speech.
She explained on Twitter afterwards that she seconded Sanders’ nomination because “convention rules require roll call & nominations for every candidate that passes the delegate threshold” and she was asked to do so. (RELATED: Ocasio-Cortez Follows Sen Sanders’s Lead, Says ‘I’m Going To Be Voting For Joe Biden’)
Shortly before Ocasio-Cortez’s tweet about why she nominated Sanders during her speech, NBC News tweeted that the New York congresswoman “did not endorse Joe Biden” during “one of the shortest speeches of the DNC.”
Ocasio-Cortez slammed the tweet, which was later deleted, as “blowing up a totally false and divisive narrative.”
“So @NBCNews how are you going to fix the incredible amount of damage and misinformation that you are now responsible for?” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted after the network deleted and issued clarification tweets.
So @NBCNews how are you going to fix the incredible amount of damage and misinformation that you are now responsible for?
Because a 1:15am tweet to slip under the radar after blowing up a totally false and divisive narrative across networks isn’t it. https://t.co/zf6Wqiotvv
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 19, 2020
The tweet was eventually deleted – a move that Ocasio-Cortez suggested was not enough. NBC News issued an editor’s note and clarification, as well. One noted that “this tweet should have included more detail on the nominating process.”
“Ocasio-Cortez was asked by the DNC to second Sanders’ nomination,” a second clarification tweet from NBC News read. “The nomination is a procedural requirement of the convention. Ocasio-Cortez has previously endorsed Biden, & her speech was similar in length to other nominating speeches.”
Before issuing the editor’s notes, NBC News clarified its original tweet after Ocasio-Cortez explained why she nominated Sanders in her speech. This tweet noted that Ocasio-Cortez also “extended her ‘deepest congratulations’ to Joe Biden.”
Editor’s note and clarification (2/2):
Ocasio-Cortez was asked by the DNC to second Sanders’ nomination. The nomination is a procedural requirement of the convention.
Ocasio-Cortez has previously endorsed Biden, & her speech was similar in length to other nominating speeches.
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 19, 2020