The caption of the photo of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) backers, originally posted on Instagram, reads: "Break me off a piece of that." (Photo: @emrazz/Twitter)
Aug 06, 2019
"Hey Senate Majority Leader--these young men look like they work for you."
That was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's response on Monday to a photo of several young men in "Team Mitch" t-shirts kissing, groping, and choking a cardboard cutout of the New York congresswoman.
The caption of the photo of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) backers, originally posted on Instagram, reads: "Break me off a piece of that."
"Just wanted to clarify: are you paying for young men to practice groping and choking members of Congress with your payroll, or is this just the standard culture of #TeamMitch? Thanks." Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Monday evening.
\u201cHey @senatemajldr - these young men look like they work for you.\n\nJust wanted to clarify: are you paying for young men to practice groping & choking members of Congress w/ your payroll, or is this just the standard culture of #TeamMitch?\n\nThanks.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1565052861
The photo of the McConnell supporters went viral after it was posted to Twitter by user @emrazz.
"Pictured: seven young white men in 'Team Mitch' t-shirts, gathered round a distressed looking cardboard AOC, groping and kissing her," she wrote. "The caption, 'break me off a piece of that.' Future federal judges of America."
McConnell's spokesman said in a statement that the Kentucky Republican "in no way condones any aggressive, suggestive, or demeaning act toward life-sized cardboard cutouts of any gender" and said the young men are not officially affiliated with McConnell's Senate campaign.
But as HuffPostreported, "Some of the same men also appeared in a photo on the official 'Team Mitch' Instagram account for the Fancy Farm picnic, holding aloft cutout faces of Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch."
"The photo was the second controversial image to come out of Team Mitch's participation at the Fancy Farm picnic," according to HuffPost. "Another photo showed cardboard gravestones, including one with the name of the Kentucky senator's Democratic challenger in 2020, Amy McGrath. The campaign tweeted the image under the headline: 'The Grim Reaper of Socialism.'"
\u201cThe Grim Reaper of Socialism at #FancyFarm today. #FancyFarm139\u201d— Team Mitch (Text MITCH to 47137) (@Team Mitch (Text MITCH to 47137)) 1564871740
The photo was posted hours after the racist massacre in El Paso, Texas, which left 22 people dead.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
"Hey Senate Majority Leader--these young men look like they work for you."
That was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's response on Monday to a photo of several young men in "Team Mitch" t-shirts kissing, groping, and choking a cardboard cutout of the New York congresswoman.
The caption of the photo of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) backers, originally posted on Instagram, reads: "Break me off a piece of that."
"Just wanted to clarify: are you paying for young men to practice groping and choking members of Congress with your payroll, or is this just the standard culture of #TeamMitch? Thanks." Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Monday evening.
\u201cHey @senatemajldr - these young men look like they work for you.\n\nJust wanted to clarify: are you paying for young men to practice groping & choking members of Congress w/ your payroll, or is this just the standard culture of #TeamMitch?\n\nThanks.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1565052861
The photo of the McConnell supporters went viral after it was posted to Twitter by user @emrazz.
"Pictured: seven young white men in 'Team Mitch' t-shirts, gathered round a distressed looking cardboard AOC, groping and kissing her," she wrote. "The caption, 'break me off a piece of that.' Future federal judges of America."
McConnell's spokesman said in a statement that the Kentucky Republican "in no way condones any aggressive, suggestive, or demeaning act toward life-sized cardboard cutouts of any gender" and said the young men are not officially affiliated with McConnell's Senate campaign.
But as HuffPostreported, "Some of the same men also appeared in a photo on the official 'Team Mitch' Instagram account for the Fancy Farm picnic, holding aloft cutout faces of Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch."
"The photo was the second controversial image to come out of Team Mitch's participation at the Fancy Farm picnic," according to HuffPost. "Another photo showed cardboard gravestones, including one with the name of the Kentucky senator's Democratic challenger in 2020, Amy McGrath. The campaign tweeted the image under the headline: 'The Grim Reaper of Socialism.'"
\u201cThe Grim Reaper of Socialism at #FancyFarm today. #FancyFarm139\u201d— Team Mitch (Text MITCH to 47137) (@Team Mitch (Text MITCH to 47137)) 1564871740
The photo was posted hours after the racist massacre in El Paso, Texas, which left 22 people dead.
"Hey Senate Majority Leader--these young men look like they work for you."
That was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's response on Monday to a photo of several young men in "Team Mitch" t-shirts kissing, groping, and choking a cardboard cutout of the New York congresswoman.
The caption of the photo of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) backers, originally posted on Instagram, reads: "Break me off a piece of that."
"Just wanted to clarify: are you paying for young men to practice groping and choking members of Congress with your payroll, or is this just the standard culture of #TeamMitch? Thanks." Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Monday evening.
\u201cHey @senatemajldr - these young men look like they work for you.\n\nJust wanted to clarify: are you paying for young men to practice groping & choking members of Congress w/ your payroll, or is this just the standard culture of #TeamMitch?\n\nThanks.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1565052861
The photo of the McConnell supporters went viral after it was posted to Twitter by user @emrazz.
"Pictured: seven young white men in 'Team Mitch' t-shirts, gathered round a distressed looking cardboard AOC, groping and kissing her," she wrote. "The caption, 'break me off a piece of that.' Future federal judges of America."
McConnell's spokesman said in a statement that the Kentucky Republican "in no way condones any aggressive, suggestive, or demeaning act toward life-sized cardboard cutouts of any gender" and said the young men are not officially affiliated with McConnell's Senate campaign.
But as HuffPostreported, "Some of the same men also appeared in a photo on the official 'Team Mitch' Instagram account for the Fancy Farm picnic, holding aloft cutout faces of Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch."
"The photo was the second controversial image to come out of Team Mitch's participation at the Fancy Farm picnic," according to HuffPost. "Another photo showed cardboard gravestones, including one with the name of the Kentucky senator's Democratic challenger in 2020, Amy McGrath. The campaign tweeted the image under the headline: 'The Grim Reaper of Socialism.'"
\u201cThe Grim Reaper of Socialism at #FancyFarm today. #FancyFarm139\u201d— Team Mitch (Text MITCH to 47137) (@Team Mitch (Text MITCH to 47137)) 1564871740
The photo was posted hours after the racist massacre in El Paso, Texas, which left 22 people dead.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.