On January 6, a mob of pro-Trump extremists stormed the United States Capitol, fueled by former President Donald Trump's and the Republican party's lies about the legitimacy of the 2020 election.
At least five people died as a result of the failed insurrection, and the lives of every member of Congress were endangered.
Earlier this week, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)—a favorite target of the right due to her progressive policies—gave a deeply personal, detailed account on Instagram Live of her experience at the Capitol that day.
She recounted hiding in the bathroom of her office as a Capitol police officer—who failed to initially identify himself—barged in, shouting "Where is she?" The Congresswoman evacuated to a nearby Capitol office building where she took refuge in the office of Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA), where she changed into a pair of sneakers she found in preparation to run for her life.
Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the trauma of the experience and the Republican calls to "move on" from the travesty, likening that day to her own experience with sexual assault and the fear of that trauma being dismissed.
Republicans have since pounced on the Congresswoman, scrambling to contradict her story and paint her as a liar.
Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) was one of those Republicans, tweeting that her office is two doors down from Ocasio-Cortez's and that Mace never felt threatened.
But Mace's own words in the hours and days immediately following the attack contradict that, as Ocasio-Cortez herself pointed out.
All I can think of w/ folks like her dishonestly claiming that survivors are exaggerating are the stories of veterans and survivors in my community who deny themselves care they need & deserve bc they internalize voices like hers saying what they went through “wasn't bad enough"
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 4, 2021
This is where the true damage of what @NancyMace is doing comes in.
How many survivors are watching her? Who now, seeing her, won't get care or will feel further shame or silence? Who won't speak up bc they know there are voices in leadership ready to minimize their experiences?
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 4, 2021
How many food workers or custodial workers or Capitol Police officers, who ran for their lives in Longworth or feared for their families in the weeks after the attacks, now think their terror is less valid because of her statements?
Mace's attacks are attacks on them, too.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 4, 2021
Mace pushed back against Ocasio-Cortez, but didn't explain the contradiction to statements she made on record.
Ocasio-Cortez never stated that "insurrectionists stormed our hallways," but that in the chaos of the day, lawmakers weren't sure which areas were compromised.
Soon, Mace was inundated with receipts.
In her attempts to smear Ocasio-Cortez as a liar, Mace ended up being decried as a liar herself.
At least one Capitol rioter was arrested for his intention to "assassinate AOC."
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