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AOC Claps Back At Rightwinger Who Accused Her Of Neglecting Her Grandma While 'Living In Luxury'

Ben Acosta
Jun. 04, 2021
SAUL LOEB/AFP / Getty Images

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cannot do anything without someone on the right making a completely bad faith criticism about it.

This includes when the New York Representative tried to advocate for people in Puerto Rico who are still dealing with the effects of a 2017 hurricane.

AOC began by sharing an image of her grandmother's home to illustrate the conditions many Puerto Ricans find themselves in even four years after the hurricane.

She talked about how the systemic issues on the island coupled with a corrupt local government is making things difficult for the people.

The Fiscal Control Board appointed to oversee a debt restructuring for the island also enacted an austerity plan that cut deeply into the island's healthcare, pensions and education.

Colloquially called "La Junta," the board and its ramifications have been incredibly controversial in Puerto Rico.


However, right-wing personality Matt Walsh of the Matt Walsh Blog decided to focus on a different aspect of AOC's story. Namely Walsh wanted to talk about that first tweet that showed the conditions her grandmother's house is in.

Walsh asked AOC why her grandmother was living like that when AOC makes decent money as a Congresswoman.

Despite his completely off topic criticism, AOC responded and tried to get the conversation back to the point.


AOC has been fighting for the benefit of all Puerto Ricans.

While some advocate for Puerto Rico to become a state, this ignores the reality of what that would mean for Puerto Ricans.

Instead, AOC advocates for self-determination for the island, giving its inhabitants the chance to decide for independence or free association, instead of just becoming a state or keeping things as is.



In the meantime, the people of Puerto Rico need relief now.

Hurricane Maria hit the island in September of 2017.

In the aftermath, many were left without homes, the medical infrastructure was pushed to its limit and help from the federal government took a long time to arrive. Even once it did, many resources and supplies were left unutilized by the government of the island.

This is the continued state of Puerto Rico AOC is advocating to try and help.

Rather than engage with the issue, right wingers just wanted to attempt to get a zing in on AOC.




Today, Puerto Rico is fighting against the privatization of their power grid and to keep their homes.

The relief funds provided by the United States require specific documentation about someone's home to access, which many on the island do not have. This may lead to developers seizing people's homes under the pretext the owner cannot prove their ownership.

On top of all of this, Puerto Rico's status as a tax haven for the wealthy has been highly scrutinized.