WASHINGTON, DC: Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez found herself in the midst of a social media storm recently, as critics accused her of hypocrisy following her criticism of President Joe Biden's decision to resume border wall construction.
AOC's comments came under scrutiny after the Biden administration announced its intention to waive 26 federal laws to expedite the construction of additional border wall sections in Starr County, Texas.
AOC's critique of Biden's border wall decision
In a statement issued on Thursday night, AOC publicly slammed the move, stating, "The Biden administration was not obligated to expand border wall construction — and it was certainly not obligated to waive several environmental laws to expedite construction."
She further argued that walls do little to deter migrants fleeing poverty and violence and instead push them into remote and perilous areas, increasing their risk of harm. AOC didn't hold back in calling the policy "cruel."
"A wall does nothing to stop people fleeing poverty and violence from coming to the United States...Walls only serve to push migrants into more remote areas, increasing their chances of death. It is a cruel policy," she added.
AOC didn't stop at criticizing the border wall decision; she also attributed the surge in migration to US sanctions on Venezuela and called for a comprehensive review of US policy towards Latin America.
However, the controversy surrounding AOC's stance intensified when journalist Glenn Greenwald pointed out her apparent absence from the border since President Biden took office.
Greenwald, known for his fearless journalism, took to social media to question AOC's commitment, humorously referring to it as "AOC: Vision in White visit to the border (parking lot)."
"There still has been no melodramatic AOC: Vision in White visit to the border (parking lot), even as the Wall Is Built and Kids Remain in Cages," he quipped on X, referring to the infamous 2018 photo op allegedly staged by the congresswoman at the border, outside a tent city shelter in Texas that was used to detain migrant children.
AOC's past statements vs recent actions
But the real firestorm ignited when Greenwald shared a clip from his 2018 interview with AOC, in which she explicitly stated that she would not vote for Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker.
This contradicted her later vote in 2019, when she was elected to Congress, in favor of Pelosi.
"I’ll tell you: In 2019 Dems had to elect a Speaker and the numbers were tight. It was my first time voting on the House floor. When my name was called to vote, all the GOP looked at me. When I voted for the Speaker, the party under McCarthy’s leadership boo’d me. Run the tape!" she posted on X on Thursday, October 5.
Responding to her claim, Greenwald stated, "AOC -- as she does on a virtually daily basis these days -- boasts of what a good, loyal Democrat she is, now proudly recalling she voted for Pelosi after being elected. Except in 2018, while running, I asked her if she'd vote for Pelosi. She said no."
He then attached a clip from the interview.
The online debate was fierce, with AOC's supporters and critics trading barbs in the comment sections. AOC's defenders dismissed the criticism, arguing that politicians are entitled to evolve their positions over time.
"So what?" one supporter responded.
"How dare someone change their opinion!" another defender wrote.
"Look in the mirror first," someone else added.
However, Greenwald and other critics remained unrelenting. Greenwald stated, "It took a few years for huge numbers to realize she's a pro-establishment fraud."
He further lamented that many supporters appeared willing to overlook what he saw as AOC's flip-flopping on key issues.
"Look at the replies: so many either justifying her deceit or saying they don't care. It took a few years for huge numbers to realize she's a pro-establishment fraud, but I recall being amazed when she voted for Pelosi in 2019 since - months earlier - she told me she wouldn't," Greenwald noted.
In yet another response he doubled down, "How to spot a drooling, mindless Democratic partisan: You can show them the evidence right in their face that their Democratic Party leaders lied to them to get elected, and they say: 'So what'? You remain grateful to be lied to and manipulated by politicians."
Critics also seized the opportunity to question AOC's consistency and accused her of betraying her ideals.
"She has a hard time keeping her stories straight," one commented.
"I feel like some people still haven’t fully grasped how big of a sellout AOC and Bernie was once in a generation-level betrayal," a comment read.
"She’s a radical leftist, and typically, such people lie as the situation dictates. Typical and expected behavior. Too bad her constituents keep voting her into office," someone else offered.
