A campaign organized by Daily Wire columnist Matt Walsh to save Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s abuela’s home in Puerto Rico raised more than $10,000 in one hour.
AOC posted a tweet Wednesday slamming former President Donald Trump for blocking relief money for Puerto Rico after Hurricane María. She included photos of her abuela’s home, which had minimal furniture, buckets on the floor and a ceiling that was falling apart. (RELATED: Trump To Send $13 Billion In Aid To Puerto Rico, Still Struggling In Aftermath Of 2017’s Hurricane Maria)
Just over a week ago, my abuela fell ill. I went to Puerto Rico to see her- my 1st time in a year+ bc of COVID.
This is her home. Hurricane María relief hasn’t arrived. Trump blocked relief $ for PR.
People are being forced to flee ancestral homes, & developers are taking them. pic.twitter.com/wnRxLalA2D
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 2, 2021
The congresswoman said in a later tweet that her abuela “had a place to go to and be cared for” but said that thousands of people in Puerto Rico don’t.
Commentators on social media slammed Ocasio-Cortez, a self-proclaimed socialist, for not stepping up to help her grandmother. Walsh also chimed in, telling AOC that it is “shameful that you live in luxury while allowing your own grandmother to suffer in these squalid conditions.”
Shameful that you live in luxury while allowing your own grandmother to suffer in these squalid conditions
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 2, 2021
Walsh announced on Friday that he set up a GoFundMe to help Ocasio-Cortez’s grandmother.
“As you’ve heard, @AOC’s abuela is living in a dilapidated home that was ravaged by Hurricane Maria,” he said on Twitter. “AOC is unable to help her own grandma for whatever reason, so I have set up this Go Fund Me campaign to save her home. Please give if you can. #HelpAbuela”
I will kick things off by donating $499, which happens to be the cost of a monthly lease payment for a Tesla. I challenge @benshapiro @michaeljknowles and @JeremyDBoreing to match this donation. Together we can change the world.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 4, 2021
Walsh said that he donated $499 to start, which according to him is the monthly cost of a Tesla, the car that AOC drives. The fundraiser had received nearly $24,000 as of Friday afternoon, a little over two hours after it was created.
“I decided to start the GoFundMe because AOC’s abuela is in dire need and unfortunately AOC seems unable to help even though she’s a single woman earning a six figure income,” Walsh told the Daily Caller in a statement. “I realize that Tesla’s are pretty expensive, and she just bought one, so maybe that explains it. Whatever the case, someone had to step up and help out.”