Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been a target for conservatives ever since the democratic socialist stunned American politics by upsetting longtime Democratic Congressman Joe Crowley in her U.S. House Democratic primary last June. The Bronx native has seen everything from her fashion choices to her bank account scrutinized. Now her dancing has joined that growing list.
Shortly before the 29-year-old became the youngest congressman ever sworn in to office, several conservative Twitter feeds shared a video of her dancing on a rooftop. The video, featuring her dancing to Phoenix's "Lisztomania" in an apparent homage to The Breakfast Club, appeared to be taken from Ocasio-Cortez's time at Boston University.
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One Twitter user, whose handle referenced the QAnon conspiracy theory popular among supporters of President Donald Trump, tweeted the video with the accompanying insult: "Here is "America's favorite commie know-it-all acting like the clueless nitwit she is...High School video of "Sandy" Ocasio-Cortez."
It's fair to say that most people, though, did not share that reaction to a young Ocasio-Cortez exuberant dance.
"Now she's totally done for. Newly unearthed video reveals that when @AOC was in college, she was ... adorable," wrote Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty.
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. Clutch your pearls, everyone," wrote CNN pundit Ana Navarro. "Surely folks obsessed with Ocasio-Cortez know only thing accomplished with constant attacks on her, is making her star rise higher. This is stupid."
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
Politico writer John Bresnahan, meanwhile, wrote that he had been sent the video a month ago but decided it had no news value.
Someone sent me this video a month ago. Of couse we didn’t post it. Has no news value whatsoever & provides no insight into @AOC. It’s college students .... dancing. https://t.co/vhelhy4ELF
— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) January 3, 2019
While its news value may be nonexistent, the video has certainly proved popular. Twenty-four hours after it was first posted, it had over 2.4 million views.
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It remains to be seen whether Ocasio-Cortez will deem it worthy of a response. The newly sworn-in congresswoman has not shied away from hitting back at her critics.
"The reason journos from @FoxNews to @dcexaminer can't help but obsess about my clothes, rent, or mischaracterize respectful convos as "fights" is bc as I've said, women like me aren't supposed to run for office - or win & that's exactly why the BX and Queens sent me here," she tweeted in November in response to suggestions from conservative outlets that her clothes were too expensive for someone who has said she has struggled financially.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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