In a very funny moment, one for which she was heartily roasted on X (formerly Twitter), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY), got stumped by NPR’s Steve Inskeep during an interview on NPR’s “Up First from NPR” show. That moment came when Inskeep noted that many Republicans see the American justice system as being weaponized against them because of how Biden’s DOJ acted.
Inskeep, broaching the subject, noted that Trump is looking into numerous Democrats, such as Chuck Schumer, for their threats of violence against public officials. He asked, “The interim U.S. attorney here in Washington, D.C., where we are, Ed Martin, has several times said he has reached out to specific Democratic lawmakers such as Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, to ask for clarification about various remarks that he regarded as threatening. I’m interested if you or your fellow Democrats are at all feeling intimidated or silenced.”
Responding, AOC said that Democrats aren’t being silenced by the threats, telling Inskeep, “I’m not. I think it’s important to call this administration’s bluff. I think that this is what authoritarians do. I think this is what kleptocracies do. I believe that this is what corrupt administrations do. They rely on the illusion of power.”
He then asked her, “Do you think other Democrats are watching their words?” She said, “I think it’s certainly possible, but I’m not sure. I cannot think of or point to any individuals who have said that. I do think that there are Democratic members of Congress who are preparing for that possibility.”
Then, after a bit more back and forth on the subject of how Democrats are reacting to Trump’s threats, Inskeep noted that Republicans think the system is weaponized against them. He asked her, “Some Republican or many perhaps will be listening to this and thinking, ‘wait a minute, actually, you’re the ones who are prosecuting us. You are the guys who are weaponizing the Justice Department.’ How would you respond to somebody who may be thinking that?”
In a response that sparked much online mockery, AOC awkwardly laughed and stumbled over her words, having no clever response to the question and instead looking like a fool. She said, doing her awkward laugh, “In what way? In what way? Is it – is the very presence of…” Inskeep told her, “Putting Trump on trial would be their example, I suppose.”
That is what led to her being roasted on X. One such account that did so quite funnily was Eric Abbenante, who noted what happened and then said, “Impossible challenge: Talk to AOC without something going over her head. She would have genuinely asked: ‘But other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?’” Watch the incident here: