Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (aka AOC) is one politician who isn’t afraid to mince her words, but she’s taking no prisoners when it comes to the harrowing Capitol riot that occurred last week. The New York Congresswoman took to her Instagram account to share her terrifying experience in the January 6 seige, which saw a pro-Trump mob attempt a coup in Washington.
In an Instagram Live stream, AOC spoke out about the ordeal that left her afraid for her and her staff’s safety. “I can tell you that I had a very close encounter where I thought I was going to die,” she said, before clarifying that she couldn’t divulge much more due to security measures. “I did not know if I was going to make it to the end of that day alive.”
“Wednesday was an extremely traumatising event. And it was not an exaggeration to say that many members of the House were nearly assassinated,” she said during the hour-long video, before explaining that she didn’t feel protected around other members of Congress, either. “I myself did not even feel safe going to that extraction point because there were QAnons and white supremacist sympathisers and, frankly, white supremacist members of Congress in that extraction point who I know and who I had felt would disclose my location and would create opportunities to allow me to be hurt, kidnapped, et cetera.”
Unlike a lot of her fellow politicians, AOC was quick to condemn those responsible for the attack as “white supremacists” led by their support for President Trump and desire for power. Since the event took place, she has been vocal in calling for President Trump’s impeachment. Although Trump has now been impeached for the second time, AOC has been imploring members of his administration to enact the 25th Amendment, which would result in his immediate removal from office.
To those who have been resigning from the President’s staff “rather than fulfilling their duties in enacting the 25th Amendment and removing the president of the United States,” AOC has a clear message: “Too late. You’re not gonna resign after Wednesday and act like you weren’t a part of it. Were you Secretary on Wednesday? Yes. You were a part of it. Were you secretary every single step leading up to Wednesday? Yes. Then you were a part of it. You don’t get to allow for an attack that kills five people and then afterwards, you say ‘I wasn’t a part of it.'”
