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?"
