Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to a viral video of her dancing in college that critics attempted to use as the latest weapon against the newly elected congresswoman, saying it was "unsurprising" Republicans would have an issue with it.
"It is unsurprising to me that Republicans would think having fun should be disqualifying or illegal," she told The Hill's Olivia Beavers on Friday.
Ocasio-Cortez also echoed a sentiment expressed by many on social media.
"It is not normal for elected officials to have a reputation for dancing well, and I'm happy to be one," she said.
Asked @AOC re this dancing video. She said:
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) January 4, 2019
"It is not normal for elected officials to have a reputation for dancing well and I'm happy to be one."
& "It is unsurprising to me that Republicans would think having fun should be disqualifying or illegal"https://t.co/M0qMKmQ0ar
A number of conservative accounts shared the video of Ocasio-Cortez dancing to Phoenix's "Lisztomania" in an apparent homage to The Breakfast Club from her time at Boston University. One of the initial tweets of the video referred to it as "America's favorite commie know-it-all acting like the clueless nitwit."
But the effort to discredit the 29-year-old, who became the youngest congresswoman ever after being sworn in on Thursday, appeared to backfire spectacularly. The overwhelming reaction online to the video was a positive one, with observers referring to it as "adorable" and mocking the "clutch-your-pearls" reaction from some on the right.
Now she's totally done for. Newly unearthed video reveals that when @AOC was in college, she was ... adorable. https://t.co/EkqXTrQSAo
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) January 3, 2019
Oh look! @AOC acted like a typical high-school teenager when she was a teen-ager in high-school.
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) January 3, 2019
Clutch your pearls, everyone.
Surely folks obsessed with Ocasio-Cortez know only thing accomplished with constant attacks on her, is making her star rise higher.
This is stupid. https://t.co/IkRW9Uc4Sa
Following her initial comments to reporters, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted her own reaction, including a fresh dance.
"I hear the GOP thinks women dancing are scandalous. Wait till they find out Congresswomen dance too!" she wrote.
I hear the GOP thinks women dancing are scandalous.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 4, 2019
Wait till they find out Congresswomen dance too! 💃🏽
Have a great weekend everyone :) pic.twitter.com/9y6ALOw4F6
Ocasio-Cortez, a democratic socialist, has faced frequent attacks from conservatives since she shook American politics by upsetting establishment Democrat Joe Crowley in her New York primary last June. She went on to comfortably win her general election in November's midterms.
Fox News has often scrutinized the Bronx native's fashion choices, often suggesting that her clothes did not correlate with someone who claimed to be of limited financial means. Ocasio-Cortez has not shied away from hitting back at her critics, including Fox News and other outlets that share a conservative message.
She has also been unafraid to call out Democrats. Even before being sworn into office, Ocasio-Cortez challenged new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to support a proposed Green New Deal to tackle climate change.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jason Le Miere is from the British island of Jersey, which has absolutely no relation to the Garden State, other than ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
