Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says that media attention over her racial complaints about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is unwarranted as she’s “just pointing out a pattern.”
The New York Democrat told CNN’s Manu Raju that claims of “persistent singling out … out of newly elected women of color” by Mrs. Pelosi should be interpreted through a broader context.
At issue, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said Thursday, were cultural issues that are bigger than intraparty disputes.
“Well I think it’s really just pointing out a pattern, right?” she asked Mr. Raju. “We’re not talking just about progressives, it’s singling out four individuals and knowing the media environment we’re operating in … knowing the amount of death threats we get, knowing the amount of concentration of attention, I think it’s worth asking why.”
Mrs. Pelosi has attempted to navigate a political minefield since the freshman representative – described this week as “the hero of the left wing of the Democrats” by the New Yorker Radio hour — was elected.
Just asked @aoc if she stands by her comment that Pelosi singles out women of color. “Well I think it’s really just pointing out a pattern, right? We’re not talking just about progressives, it’s singling out four individuals and knowing the media environment we’re operating in..”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 11, 2019
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At times, however, her comments appear to have exacerbated the tension.
“All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world,” Mrs. Pelosi told The New York Times’ Maureen Dowd for a July 6 op-ed. “But they didn’t have any following. They’re four people and that’s how many votes they got.”
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez has called Mrs. Pelosi’s public and private admonishments “just outright disrespectful.”
…knowing the amount of death threats we get, knowing the amount of concentration of attention, I think it’s worth asking why.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 11, 2019
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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