Clearing Up What Happened to Ocasio-Cortez During the Storming of the Capitol

In a video, she said she thought rioters entered her office, but her later clarification that it was a Capitol police officer was left out of many reports.

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During an Instagram live-stream on Monday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described her experiences during the storming of the Capitol on January 6. Ocasio-Cortez’s description of her evacuation led some to believe that rioters broke into her office while she was in there:

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  1. Avatar photo
    D Coleman

    Some enterprising reporter needs to find that Capitol police officer and get his side of the story.
    - What’s the timeline of events—when was she in her office?
    - Where were the rioters in relation to it at that time?
    - Was she ever in real danger in her office?

    And here’s where it gets bad: How much credence do we give her sexual assault story? Before you pounce on this, consider that she was the one who brought it up. It has nothing to do with the Capitol attack (yes, I understand about relived trauma). She should not have raised it if she didn’t want to get questions about it. She’s a public figure and that’s how this works. Without knowing anything (and none of us know anything about it), I can only say that her prior assault seems like a conveniently dredged up stimulant to make her Capitol story, which we already know was embellished, seem more dramatic. I’m guessing that sexual assault victims are a ton more circumspect about where and when they choose to tell their stories. This just doesn’t seem legit for that reason. I think the Representative is putting on a bit of a performance, victimhood being the coin of the realm on the left.

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    1. Trichwages

      Wow. Just wow.

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    2. Sam Pfanstiel

      Whereas, incredulity in comment threads are the coin of the realm of the right.

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    Brismith933

    It’s going to take more media outlets to be sued, a la Sandmann, to force them to start reporting more responsibly. It’s unbelievable many of them don’t seem to recognize the damage they’ve done the last few years, or do any self-examination to try to understand why their trust ratings are in the toilet. Money is the only thing that will get their attention. Wonder if Zucker is an example of an outlet starting to snap to this reality. Good riddance.

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  3. Joe1776

    If anyone is curious how republicans look at this and democrat fact checkers in general, here is a republican view:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAgzKL_8qpE

    Notice how he actually understands what a fact is but fact checkers either don't know or deliberately misrepresent what is a fact.


    It is sad if indeed facebook and other social media is censoring others based on these obviously partisan fact checkers.

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    Narwhal

    I think it is worth noting that Rep. Adam Kinzinger also locked himself in his office and feared for his safety that day.

    He had been actively following some of the chatter about the January 6th rally on social media prior to the day. He brought up concerns on a House Republican conference call and his concerns were dismissed. He told his staff to stay home that day. He brought a handgun with him that day and kept it in his office.

    When the Capitol was breached he was in his office. He locked his door and took out his gun. He felt he might have to use it.

    So, Rep. Cortez was not irrational for fearing for her safety.

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    1. Joe1776

      Lots of people were afraid sure. I would likely lock the door too, take a gun out, or even get out of that area. Would I run around to other people's offices to hide and do a big dramatic reenactment weeks later on Instagram? Would I tell everyone how the police officer gave me a mean look and I couldn't trust him "Like so many other communities in this country," Well no, not if there were no rioters that ever even entered my building and the officer didn't do anything beyond what I considered a mean look.

      And in fact most people in her building didn't react that way either. Was her fear really so much worse than those with offices next door? I certainly think it is possible because fear is a subjective reaction. But I also think it is possible she was over playing this in some ways to make a power grab victimhood offers. I don't see the point in trying answer whether it is one or the other or both etc. But I also don't think we should vilify those who say she is over reacting when so many that were in the same situation did not have anything close to the same reaction. She has demonstrated her dishonesty in plenty of other ways.


      Yeah I know "how dare you, you monster?" But the opportunity to "how dare you?" is part of this whole schtick, we all know it, and and I don't care.

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        Narwhal

        How many deaths threats do you receive on a weekly basis?

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    Steve Gordon

    If AOC wasn't so desperate for attention she could have conveyed the context better, rather than inflame. Then of course the media on both sides play it back in a manner filtered to further inflame. Thank goodness we have Alec and the Dispatch crew to provide the proper context and a cohesive set of facts.

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  6. Joe1776

    The knocking on the door is the mob coming to kill me!! Oh actually there is no mob in the building at all. It is a cop telling me where I can go. But he was really mean looking!

    At worst this seems like an event where you think you are having a heart attack but, turns out, it was just gas.

    Would a normal adjusted person then post an emotional video to the world about such a simple mistaken fear? That's almost certainly why so many people misunderstood what she was communicating. The context was so off. It's like someone nodding while saying the word "no."

    But whatever, the real problem with her lately is her claims, without evidence, that Cruz tried to murder her and that the core of the republican house are racists.

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      SusanC

      Is this what you are referring to?

      “I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where there’s common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that aren’t trying to get me killed. In the meantime if you want to help, you can resign.”

      “While you conveniently talk about ‘moving on’, a second Capitol police officer lost their life yesterday in the still-raging aftermath of the attacks you had a role in.”

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      1. Joe1776

        Yes that is some of the slander I am talking about.

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        1. Joe1776

          Here is some more suggesting they are like sex abusers:

          https://www.dailywire.com/news/chip-roy-responds-to-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-comparing-him-to-sexual-abusers

          She also said something like core republicans in the house are racist that republicans were involved in showing the attackers where to go in the capital building and telling people where Pelosi was etc. It has really just been a barrage of claims and conspiracy theories not supported by evidence. If you do a search for her last name on fox or daily wire you can see what she is saying for yourself.

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    Alex Strelow

    Yes! Nancy Mace also confirmed that AOC made clear she didn't know who was outside her door, and that the press was the culprit for dramatizing the story. I found it v unfortunate that Mace's comment today didn't have the needed context to make clear she is taking the PRESS to task for their dramatization, and NOT AOC for dramatizing the facts. I found it even more unfortunate that AOC took her comments as a personal attack—I do think Mace's comment was open to this interpretation—and thus really politicized this today and made reactionary assumptions that outpaced reality. Ugh. Such a missed opportunity for two women across the aisle to support each other.

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    Aylene Wright

    Thanks for this Fact Check, I think this is a very nuanced one and needed because it's true that (1) some media accounts of AOC'd plight were sensational and misleading in giving the impression that a mob actually broke into her office and (2) AOC herself didn't lie about a mob *actually* breaking in, or being in the Capitol.

    BTW I totally believe that she truly was afraid for her life, and people mocking that are being ghoulish.

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    1. Joe1776

      She may have been afraid for a bit but once she realized she was completely mistaken about the situation, you wouldn't expect a video with this sort of tone. The tone of the video is what you would expect if she really were in danger and there really was a mob beating on her door. I suspect that is why there was so much misunderstanding about what she was trying to communicate.

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  9. Scott N.

    I've been disappointed with Nancy Mace's response to this.

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  10. Tony Rice

    When did the GOP become this? Bout the time that so many "principled conservatives" cashed in their dignity so that they could have a VIP seat on the Trump "Circus" train.

    There is plenty to not like about AOC, plenty, but here we have a case where a lot of people actually were trying to hunt her down, and more than a few of them wanted to harm her, and at least a few of them wanted to kill her. In todays GOP, this is something to chuckle about.

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    1. Joe1776

      What are you even talking about? I don't doubt she like many politicians these days needs to keep secure and that is horrible. But this article is about her over dramatic reenactment of a non-attack. Her drama was so over the top many reporters thought she really was attacked.

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      1. Tony Rice

        Joe, that’s what this whole thread is about. She was actually accurate in what she described, and the press Didn’t report all of those details.

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        1. Joe1776

          Tony are you saying the press is the GOP? Yes the press got it wrong but your first paragraph bemoans the GOP.

          And no one but fringe people in either party are chuckling about the fear of political violence. Whether it is Trump Cruz AOC or Pelosi or any other politician possibly being violently attacked. It is just not reality.

          There are some amusing things about this whole episode, but it is definitely not the real fear of political violence or any sort of violence. We all likely know people who have had to live with violence.

          BTW here are the jobs were people are most likely to be violently murdered:

          https://www.swordandscale.com/five-professions-youre-most-likely-to-be-murdered/

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          1. Tony Rice

            We see your original comment Joe. You pretend we didn't see it, you make up positions about me out of thin air, and you introduce articles on new and different topics.

            It's a cute dance Joe. Go away.

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About Alec Dent

Alec Dent is the culture editor and a staff writer for The Dispatch. He is a graduate of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC Chapel Hill, and previously oversaw The Dispatch's fact checking team.
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