Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested in an interview on Thursday that her Republican colleagues in Congress are capable of harming her.
The video: The New York Democrat made the remarks during an appearance on CNN on Thursday night, where she discussed her decision to skip President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
- “I think we also had very real security concerns as well,” she told CNN host Chris Cuomo. “As you mentioned earlier, we still don’t yet feel safe around other members of Congress” following the January 6 riot at the Capitol.
- Ocasio-Cortez, who opted to stay in the Bronx to support striking Teamsters, also cited “security concerns” pertaining to her fellow lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
Doubling down: On Twitter, the freshman congresswoman insinuated GOP lawmakers had threatened real violence against her and other leftist legislators during their campaigns.
- At least one Capitol rioter has been arrested for allegedly attempting to “assassinate” Ocasio-Cortez.
The context: Before the January 6 Capitol riot, about which she said she feared for her life, Ocasio-Cortez expressed concerns about being the target of conservative ire for her outspoken rhetoric and status as a woman of color.
- In an October Vanity Fair profile, the congresswoman said, “I used to wake up in the morning and literally get a stack of pictures that were forwarded by Capitol police or FBI. Like, ‘These are the people who want to kill you today.'”
- Speaking to New York magazine, she lamented her celebrity, saying, “I can’t go outside anymore. I miss being able to go out to dinner. I miss anonymity. I have to send my boyfriend out to get groceries. There has been a shift in chores.”
