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GOP Congressman Yoho Overheard Calling Ocasio-Cortez 'F**king B*tch' After Accosting Her on Capitol Steps

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., wears a face mask as she walks down the House steps of the U.S. Capitol on April 23, 2020.(Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

GOP Congressman Yoho Overheard Calling Ocasio-Cortez 'F**king B*tch' After Accosting Her on Capitol Steps

"That kind of confrontation hasn't ever happened to me—ever," said New York Democrat after the exchange.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was verbally accosted--including being called a "fucking bitch"--by Republican colleague Rep. Ted Yoho Monday afternoon on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building over her remarks earlier this month tying a rise in New York City crime to increased levels of poverty and housing insecurity in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"That kind of confrontation hasn't ever happened to me--ever," Ocasio-Cortez told The Hill's Mike Illis--who reported that the exchange was witnessed by a journalist--shortly after the encounter. "I've never had that kind of abrupt, disgusting kind of disrespect levied at me."

The progressive Democratic lawmaker was confronted by Yoho, a Florida Republican, for her comments as the two passed each other on the steps of the Capitol building in "an unusually personal exchange." According to Illis, Yoho called Ocasio-Cortez "freaking crazy," while the New York congresswoman fired back that the GOP legislator was being "rude."

After Ocasio-Cortez walked away, Yoho was overheard calling her a "fucking bitch."

Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas), who was walking with Yoho, told Illis that he didn't notice much of the exchange.

"I was actually thinking, as I was walking down the stairs, I was thinking about some issues I've got in my district that need to get done," Williams told Illis. "I don't know what their topic was. There's always a topic, isn't there?"

Progressives expressed outrage over Yoho's remarks and solidarity with Ocasio-Cortez, a regular target of right-wing attacks.

"This culture of vitriol does a disservice to America," tweeted Shahid Buttar, , a progressive Democrat challenging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her congressional seat in California. "Right wing voices feel threatened by our voices--and with good reason."

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) noted the sexist undertones to the attack and wondered why Yoho hasn't confronted others with similar views to Ocasio-Cortez.

"Like AOC, I believe poverty to be a root cause of crime," tweeted Phillips. "Wonder why Rep. Yoho hasn't accosted me on the Capitol steps with the same sentiment?"

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