Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took the political world by storm last year when she ousted incumbent Democrat Joseph Crowley in New York’s congressional primary.
Experts speculate that part of Ocasio-Cortez’s allure is her ability to use social media to relate to the average person. Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of Queens and the Bronx, has said that she likes to keep things “raw and honest” on social media because she believes elected officials do a disservice to their communities “by pretending to be perfect.”
She loves dogs, cooking and sparring with political foes on Twitter. Here are eight of AOC’s most relatable moments.
Let’s taco-bout it
What do you do when you’re visiting a city and craving tacos? Ask your 3.51 million Twitter followers, of course. Ocasio-Cortez was in Austin for the South by Southwest festival on March 8 and had a hankering for tacos. Her tweet sparked a heated debate over who has the best in town.
Riding the subway is nothing new
By now, catching Ocasio-Cortez riding the subway sounds more like something you would find in a magazine with the headline, “Celebrities, they’re just like us,” but that hasn’t stopped her from going about her business. An Instagram photo posted on March 6 shows the lawmaker sitting on the subway with the caption, “Speechwriting on the 6 train.” Some may say she appears a bit too posed, but given that Ocasio-Cortez was a waitress before she was elected, it’s conceivable that she knows her way around the rails.
She calls ‘em how she sees ‘em
Ocasio-Cortez has a take-no-prisoners approach when responding to critics, especially on Twitter where her feed often reads like a war zone of political ideology. Perhaps it’s her New York roots, but AOC has no problem calling out inaccuracies, double standards and hypocrisies where she see them.
In an Instagram post on Dec. 11, she touched on the importance of pointing out double standards: “It’s a quiet suggestion that it’s rude, or crass, to point out double standards and advocate for yourself; and that doing so focuses on making YOU a victim, but conveniently allows the inefficiency, injustice, or mistake to perpetuate, unaddressed and off the hook from correction — even when everyone knows it’s wrong.”
Pass the Samoas
In a tweet on March 7, Ocasio-Cortez posted a screenshot of a headline about a conservative columnist who called for a boycott of Girl Scout Cookies because the lawmaker was once a member of the organization.
Unwavering in her support of tasty treats (and girl power), Ocasio-Cortez quipped: “Boycotting cookies that teach little girls leadership skills to own the libs 👍🏽 nice job I’ll take 10 😉”
She loves dogs (duh)
When a dog wants to smother you in kisses, you stop what you’re doing and let it – even if you’re running for congressional office. Ocasio-Cortez posted an Instagram video on June 11 showing that her fans come in all shapes, sizes and . . . species.
Cooking and politics, a match made in AOC heaven
How do you engage voters in civic discourse in the age of social media? If you’re Ocasio-Cortez, you host a Q&A on Instagram Live while making dinner. On the menu during the Nov. 9 event: mac and cheese in an Instant Pot.
Lip+hoops
You can’t get between a Bronx girl and her hoops. Ocasio-Cortez rocked red lipstick and gold hoop earrings to her swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 3, and her supporters were about it. AOC later revealed that in addition to staying true to herself, the accessory choices had a deeper meaning: “Lip+hoops were inspired by Sonia Sotomayor, who was advised to wear neutral-colored nail polish to her confirmation hearings to avoid scrutiny. She kept her red. Next time someone tells Bronx girls to take off their hoops, they can just say they’re dressing like a congresswoman.”
She dropped in on Twitch to talk transgender rights
What’s better than playing Donkey Kong 64 (hello, ’90s nostalgia) to raise money for charity? Having AOC show up on the Twitch livestream to express her support for your efforts. As Pink News first reported in January, Ocasio-Cortez dropped in on the viral livestream raising money for Mermaids, a charity that helps transgender children.
"Trans rights are civil rights are human rights," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Thank you for doing this work. I appreciate it. Everyone appreciates it."
Organizer Harry Brewis, a UK-based YouTuber, raised more than $200,000 during the marathon gaming event.
