Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Instagram @aoc)
Jan. 13, 2021 By Christina Santucci
Congress member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she feared for her life last Wednesday when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol and forced her and fellow lawmakers into hiding.
She recounted her experience in an hour-long video posted to Instagram late Tuesday night.
Ocasio-Cortez said that she worried that she would be kidnapped or hurt and was concerned that some of her fellow congress members–some of whom she describes as white supremacists –would disclose where she was hiding during the ordeal.
“I, myself, did not even feel safe going to that extraction point because there were QAnon and white supremacist sympathizers – and frankly white supremacist members of Congress – in that extraction point, who I know and who I have felt would disclose my location and … who would create opportunities for me to be hurt, kidnapped, et cetera,” she said.
Ocasio-Cortez’s account was harrowing.
“I had a pretty traumatizing event happen to me,” she said. “But I can tell you that I had a very close encounter where I thought I was going to die.”
“You have all of those thoughts where at the end of your life, and all of these thoughts came rushing to you, and that’s what happened to a lot of us on Wednesday,” she said.
On January 6, violent demonstrators breached the Capitol building as a joint session of Congress gathered to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College win. Lawmakers and their staff were forced to hide, and the proceedings were adjourned for several hours before authorities could remove the intruders from the building.
“I did not know if I was going to make it to the end of that day alive, and not just in a general sense but in a very, very specific sense,” she said.
Federal law enforcement officials are working to determine if some of the rioters intended to capture or kill lawmakers or their staff, the Washington Post reported. Photographs of the mayhem depicted several demonstrators carrying zip ties, which are typically used as restraints.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that many, many members of the House were nearly assassinated,” she said. “We were very lucky that things happened within certain minutes that allowed members to escape the House floor unharmed, but many of us narrowly escaped death.”
Since being elected to represent western Queens and parts of the Bronx, Ocasio-Cortez has used social media frequently to connect with constituents and post videos showing her daily life as a member of Congress. She currently has 8.3 million followers on Instagram.
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52 Comments
I’m sorry that you were terrorized by the insurrectionist encouraged by a fascist President and supported by white supremest Congress members.Trump needs to be found guilting and impeached plus prevented from ever running for any elected office again. Hopefully he will be prosecuted on a state level, found guilty and spend the rest of his miserable life incarcerated.
I’m glad no congressperson was harmed during the violent riot that Trump brought to the Capitol. Thank you for sharing, AOC
We need better, much better than this woman to represent us.
^ + 1 million !!!!
https://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-large-bitcoin-payments-to-rightwing-activists-a-month-before-capitol-riot-linked-to-foreign-account-181954668.html. The Fox Brainwashing machine has been grooming its gullible viewers for this moment. Enjoy
Lots of media reporting on this connection, although probably not featured on Fox. FBI looking into the Russian-Iranian-Chinese connection to alt-right groups, with bitcoin payments made to these groups. Follow the money and the cryptocurrency.
That’s funny. I feel the same way walking through Sunnyside/Woodside since I have no way of knowing which “victim” of society might randomly attack me. Unfortunately, consequences are a thing of the past.
Maybe they needed bread.
Good thing the DC police officers were on duty and there to protect the capital. Social workers were not called to the scene.
Yeah, good thing they were there so a bunch of off-duty police officers, retired military, and people with “thin blue line” flags were there to attack them with bear spray, throw them down stairs, hit them with pipes, and kill 2 of them. Those guys really love cops, don’t they?
5 people died and a mob easily broke into the US Capitol
I wish the right would respect our policed
oh well. too bad so sad. i care the least about politicians. at least now she knows how we felt when BLM attacked and terrorized our city and our hard working people.
No? A bit different than the Trump Rioters storming the Capitol huh?
Trump is a traitor.
Many of us know how she feels. We felt the same during the rioting, looting and fires during the blm protests. We continue to feel the same with bail reform, defund the police, the conversion of hotels inti homeless shelters and rise in crimes and shootings which many local politicians excuse.
So watching BLM on TV this summer made you feel like a murderous mob of white supremacists was trying to break down your door? Tell us more about this, and include very specific details about your leaping logic!
@feeling threatened…How do you know they were “white supremacists”? Your conclusion is based on what investigations? Are all BLM protesters violent and arsonists? Enough is enough and fair is fair. Please don’t put all your eggs in one basket!
The conclusion is based on everything we know about them, and what they were screaming as the smashed the nation’s Capitol.
They were all dumb enough to get their faces all over TV before all their Twitter accounts were found, were even MORE racist things were said.
WOW you’re out of the loop!
False equivalence, and your list of grievances doesn’t equate to or lessen the gravity of what these animals did, and what they were trying to do.
This was not a protest; This was an violent insurrection. These terrorists trashed the Capitol, and they were trying to block the Electoral College vote count, and trying to overturn the certified election of Biden. They were out for blood and clearly targeting Pence, Pelosi and members of Congress.
You want law and order, but this was the exact opposite.
I didn’t see any riots or lootings and I was here in Sunnyside every day.
You serious? What are we going to loot? Facemasks from under the 46th street station???
I have not had covid symptoms nor has a loved one. That does not mean i do not have empathy for those that do or lost a loved one and fear getting it. If my neighbor or house across the street is getting robbed or on fire that does not mean one does not experience the fear. We all experienced the riots and looting and were at risk of getting hurt this summer. That is why the city had a curfew and told us to stay home.
Exactly!
People that can’t see their own hypocrisy. The summer of hell was ok but this is treason in their minds. It’s not a false equivalent, it’s a prime example of double standards. BLM and antifa used violence and vicious tactics that put ordinary citizens in fear for their lives all summer. Now they’re appalled by what happened? This moment in our history is horrible, a version of McCarthyism on steroids. All summer I’ve heard the most racist and vile acts justified by people like aoc and her supporters. They ARE no better then the thugs that trashed the capital. They are the same.
The “thugs” were violent domestic terrorists who illegally invaded the Capitol and tried to disrupt the election results. They were hunting down our representatives in the Capitol, some of them armed. They didn’t just break windows and trash the building. They attacked the police. They attacked our government.
By trying to overturn the government and fight for Trump, they were trashing the Constitution which spells out the procedure for electing our Presidents. They wrapped themselves in their various flags and chanted words like “treason, democracy, freedom,” but these lemmings have no respect for the rule of law or understanding what those words really mean. I don’t really care what they think justified their actions. Their minds are so twisted and depraved and they have bought into the outright GOP lies and disinformation that the election was somehow stolen.
So no, this is not the same. Quit trying to justify their seditious acts. This is much worse and sadly I don’t this is just a “moment” either.
@Gardens Watcher – Thank you, you’re right on the money. You saved me the trouble of typing a comment.
The government should work for the people and not the other way around and THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN. Biden needs walls and the National Guard to be “Inaugurated”
I have no idea what this person is talking about lol I was able to walk around all over the city just fine this summer without fear of anyone but maybe the cops. We all know this a just a whiny Boomer who doesn’t like that his community is changing. Stop watching Fox news I know you’re mentally isolated but when covid is over how bout you turn off fox news and talk to people in your community that don’t look like you . Maybe you will see they are not the boogey man .
What a hero!! I think that we should honor her bravery with a monument. She has seriously earned it this time around.
wow with all the thumbs down. i guess people dont get sarcasm.
Neither can be achieved with a typing boxe.
Many of her followers and supporters in her district would love a Monument. She is credited with helping getting trump out of office. Some are upset that she nominated Nancy Pelosi but that is a small minority. She is famous and respected nation wide.
What has she done for Queens? How exactly did she help get Trump out of office? Where was she when the pandemic hit Queens? If people love her so much where were the politic signs for her in windows leading up to the election?
Ever experienced a home invasion? With armed intruders?
Should we say “Oh well, too bad, so sad.” I don’t think so.
@Gardens Watcher, you are contradicting yourself. Please review your platform before you employ logic.
No contradiction, comrade. I was responding to and quoting ABoondy’s earlier post, which showed callous indifference to the seriousness of this attack on Congress.
Maybe now she and everyone else who shrugged off the summer as ‘venting’ can take our complaints seriously and condemn ALL acts of violence and intimidation.
Did they smash windows of the nation’s Capitol? I don’t remember that part.
Not sure what complaints you have, or who your “WE” and “US” and “our” includes. But I absolutely will condemn ALL violence and intimidation. Especially the scum who attacked the Capitol Police chanting USA.
There is no excuse or justification for this violence. It is abhorrent that our Congresswoman had to experience this, and that members continue to feel threatened. Please stay safe. Stay strong.
How is any angry mob of Trump lovers storming the Capitol so terrifying?
Don’t forget the antifa infiltrators.
I agree, all of the rioters were Trump lovers. What is your speculation based on.?
No Antifa were part of the Capitol insurrection. These were Trump supporters. No patriots. Watch the videos on ProPublica and see for yourself. They compiled hours of videos gathered from Parler uploads. Anyone who breached the Capitol grounds is guilty of a crime.
I’d prepare for more violence when Trump arrests these Chinese assets and is sworn in for a 2nd term. Bi d en isn’t the real president. Why hasn’t Kamala resigned from Senate? Senator and VP aren’t part time jobs.
Hey Demo Day – because Mike Pence is VP until Jan 20th. There’s this nifty thing called the constitution that explains how it works. Might be worth a look – I don’t think any Chinese assets were involved with writing it.
AnnaB- Is that the same nifty Constitution that said women and black couldn’t vote and some people were only 4/5ths human?
You have been deceived, or you are deliberately trying to spew lies. This is deadly serious stuff, so feel free to call the FBI if you’re so concerned.
But when BLM supporters were screaming and threatening people she had no problem with that – and not to mention their looting and burning things down. I guess she clutched her pearls.
One mans crime doesn’t justify another mans crime.
WOW you’re out of the loop