New York Democratic Congressional Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called her protestors "right-wing Trumpers" and cult members in a Monday Instagram story.
Ocasio-Cortez responded to one Instagram user's question regarding anti-war protestors confronting the New York representative during a Q&A at Bronxdale High School in the Bronx on Thursday night.
"Sure! They were actually not anti-war protestors," Ocasio-Cortez claimed. "They were right-wing Trumpers and some were LaRouche cult members - not progressive as they claimed (their own social media shows this). It was a stunt that they do from time to time. Last time they showed up to a town hall yelling about eating babies or something. It's a thing they do to go viral and draw people in."
"This time they were parroting pro-Putin talking points," she wrote. "It is not 'anti-war' to support Russia's imperialist project to invade and seize neighboring countries either. Ukraine, like other nations, has the right to self-determination. The only person investigating threats of nuclear weapons is Putin. No one else."
Ocasio-Cortez continued: As far as their comments about Tulsi Gabbard, Gabbard has voted for more defense budget increases than I ever have (0). Look it up. Happy to dig more into Ukraine in other posts. A lot of these right-wing video and social media stunts are predicated on people not knowing the context and just believing whatever the person is saying for face value. For example, in the video they cut out the part where they waited to yell until a deaf constituent was trying to ask a question so would look like everyone was mad at their words instead of the fact that they were harming a person with a disability.
"Congresswoman. None of this matters unless there's a nuclear war which you voted to send arms and weapons to Ukrainne," yelled one protestor during Thursday's Q&A. "Tulsi Gabbard, she’s left the Democratic Party because they are war hawks. You ran as an outsider! Yet, you’ve been voting to start this war in Ukraine. You're voting to start a third nuclear war with Russia and China.”
“Why are you playing with the lives of American citizens?” the protestor asked. “You’re playing with our lives!”
Another protestor, later identified as Jose Vega, jumped in, saying, "You voted to mobilize and send money to Ukrainian Nazis! You’re a coward!"
Timcast reached out to Vega who said he is not right- or left-wing, but a “normal dude” who works for Diane Sare’s independent Larouche Senate campaign.
“Congress is in recess for the next month until after the elections,” Vega told Timcast. “Everyone should find their representative and tell them that there’s only one thing on the table — and it’s nuclear war. People need to stand up no matter what they believe and speak out against the war mobilization.”
In an Oct. 17 Twitter thread, Vega responded to Ocasio-Cortez's comments by saying he did vote for Trump twice, he is not a progressive, and that he "STILL believe[s]" in the congresswoman: "the person you are now is NOT you. It is someone you’ve decided needs to exist in order to get by the swamp. But I know the person who fought as the underdog against [former Congressman Joe] Crowley and who stood for real principles is in you." I understand, @AOC, that it’s easier to dismiss what we say because of my background. You throw around “right wing trumper” to tune out your audience of anything @Noggatone and I had to say. But it’s okay. I’ll explain first of all why you’re wrong and why I’m proud of who I am. https://t.co/eN8sowCdlr
— Jose Vega — Vote Diane Sare! (@JosBtrigga) October 17, 2022
Contradictory to Ocasio-Cortez's comments on nuclear threats, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to preemptively strike Russia to prevent the country from deploying nuclear weapons last Thursday following increased fears surrounding nuclear war rhetoric after Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed four Ukranian regions.
