Appearing on MSNBC this past Wednesday, January 27, Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York strongly criticized Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California.
Ocasio-Cortez tore into McCarthy over his recent handling of extremist members of his own party like Congresswoman and conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who previously called for the execution of Democrats in Congress.
AOC said of the House Republican caucus:
"In the House Republican caucus, Kevin McCarthy answers to these QAnon members of Congress. Not the other way around."
AOC noted McCarthy neglected to strip the conspiracy theorists in his own party of their committee assignments, saying:
"There are legitimate White supremacist sympathizers that sit at the heart, and at the core, of the Republican caucus in the House of Representatives."
Wow. @AOC spares no words about Republican leadership and reminds us: “I’ve seen Kevin McCarthy ‘pull someone asid… https://t.co/QGVHTNmdCu— Sawyer Hackett (@Sawyer Hackett) 1611797352.0
.@AOC: "When I hear that Rep McCarthy is going to pull a member aside who has made white supremacist sympathizing c… https://t.co/XfYy4PbvJF— Brian Tyler Cohen (@Brian Tyler Cohen) 1611798824.0
McCarthy reportedly had plans to "speak with" Congresswoman Greene following reports she liked social media posts calling for the death of Democrats.
This didn't mean much to AOC, who commented:
"What is he going to tell them? Keep it up? Because there are no consequences in the Republican caucus for violence. There's no consequences for racism. No consequences for misogyny. No consequences for insurrection."
"And no consequences means that they condone it. It means that that silence is acceptance, and they want it because they know that it is a core animating political energy for them―and this is an extremely dangerous threshold that we have crossed."
@AOC fillets Kevin McCarthy. For condoning white supremacy, threats of violence, insurrection, and so much more. Sh… https://t.co/WvYQNOMFKW— Norman Ornstein (@Norman Ornstein) 1611796876.0
@AOC makes it crystal clear. Brava @AOC! https://t.co/l9Jo1cOKjK— Alan Ganapol (@Alan Ganapol) 1611839669.0
AOC believes the GOP has evolved into something far more dangerous than it used to be.
"We really, really need to ask ourselves what they are evolving into because this is no longer about a party of limited government. This is about something much more nefarious."
Whoa....a conversation. That's intense. https://t.co/Q6twtwcoZY— Fred Wellman (@Fred Wellman) 1611718578.0
@FPWellman I’m sure Kevin “Trump and Rohrabacher” McCarthy will find a way to "both sides” it and conclude that AO… https://t.co/mwE3YPMSF8— Jonathan Cornick (@Jonathan Cornick) 1611718743.0
Many online pointed out McCarthy did punish a member of his party—Liz Cheney of Wyoming—who voted to impeach President Donald Trump.
@kylegriffin1 @AOC @allinwithchris well, not quite true, Liz Cheney is going through some things for voting to impeach— Nefertiti Goose, M 💉 (@Nefertiti Goose, M 💉) 1611850164.0
@kylegriffin1 @AOC @allinwithchris Unless you are Liz Cheney trying to do the right thing and uphold the constituti… https://t.co/4Z9VaQBcnX— Angie (@Angie) 1611800187.0
Twitter users praised Ocasio-Cortez for not mincing words.
@kylegriffin1 @AOC @allinwithchris Speaking truth to power. That’s who she is. Say what you will about her chutzpah… https://t.co/tL1j8cRNP5— Ahsoka Tano (@Ahsoka Tano) 1611799636.0
@briantylercohen @AOC The world would be a much better place if there were more politicians like this woman. She's… https://t.co/w3kWlwBtas— El Loco Pony (@El Loco Pony) 1611809708.0
@kylegriffin1 @AOC @allinwithchris She ain’t wrong.— Antonio ama los Churros🇺🇸 (@Antonio ama los Churros🇺🇸) 1611798935.0
Many people online hoped the Congresswoman's words would be taken seriously and followed by consequences for House members like Marjorie Taylor Greene.
@briantylercohen @AOC AOC is correct. It seems that insurrection is perfectly acceptable to the GOP, so a little bi… https://t.co/f7Zn9q9tXN— Marshall Law (@Marshall Law) 1611799189.0
@allinwithchris @VickiJo54203063 @AOC Great interview. AOC is right. House Minority Leader McCarthy said he was goi… https://t.co/hf5e4Cj7OF— Gregory Haynes (@Gregory Haynes) 1611801807.0
It's time for far-right-wing extremist members of Congress who incite insurrections and repeatedly lie to the public to face more consequences than a stern talking to.