AOC Blasts Critics Saying She Faked Being Handcuffed After Arrest: ‘Republicans’ Favorite Hobby Is To Make Conspiracy Theories’
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) responded to critics accusing her of pretending to be in handcuffs after she was detained at an abortion rights protest this week outside the Supreme Court.
In footage captured from the event, Ocasio-Cortez does oddly keep her hands behind her back as if she is wearing handcuffs, but she does raise one fist in support for the demonstrators as she’s escorted to a holding area by a police officer, swiftly returning that hand behind her back. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) similarly kept her hands behind her back while being escorted away, while others did not.
A number of conservative commentators blasted Ocasio-Cortez and accused her of playing up the incident for the cameras, but she is dismissing this criticism as “Republicans’ favorite hobby.”
In a question and answer session on her Instagram stories, she was asked about the accusations and said, “Republicans’ favorite hobby is to make conspiracy theories out of everything to distract you and keep you from talking about what’s actually important, which is the fact that they are trying to take away your to bodily autonomy.”
The congresswoman added that her fist bump mid perp-walk was proof she was not pretending to be cuffed.
“If I was faking that, why would I intentionally fist pump somebody? It’s so silly,” she said.
Capitol Police announced on Tuesday that they arrested over 30 people at the abortion rights protest, including 17 members of Congress, for obstruction, crowding, or incommoding.
Ocasio-Cortez revealed she was fined $50 for these violations.
“Totally worth it,” she wrote.
In a Wednesday tweet, Ocasio-Cortez also claimed keeping her hands behind her back was just her using the “best practice” when detained by police.
No faking here. Putting your hands behind your back is a best practice while detained, handcuffed or not, to avoid escalating charges like resisting arrest.
But given how you lied about a fellow rape survivor for “points,” as you put it to me, I don’t expect much else from you. pic.twitter.com/lUc1TPS21D
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 20, 2022
Other Democrats have also posted about their brief arrests on social media. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) joined MSNBC on Wednesday and laughed off her arrest and said “stay tuned” for more protests.” She also said lawmakers felt a need to “put our own bodies on the line” because the overturning of Roe v. Wade means “women don’t have democracy” anymore.
