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Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez admitted in a recent interview that feeling out of touch with her constituents is “always a cause for concern.”
“It’s always troubling that this is a perception,” the New York Democrat told The Associated Press while discussing the possibility that her celebrity status could make voters seem out of touch with their concerns.
“I never had any control over the fact that this kind of phenomenon started the moment I was elected,” she continued. “If anything, that’s why it’s really important to me to continue to be here in the community.”
Ocasio-Cortez is followed by more than 13 million people on Twitter alone, and her posts regularly go viral on social media, making her one of the most famous Democrats on the Internet.
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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is seen during Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s congressional testimony (Aurora Samperio/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
However, one Democratic strategist told The Associated Press that Ocasio-Cortez’s Internet fame does not necessarily translate to offline popularity.
“Outside of the far left online, she’s not popular,” said John Reinish, a New York Democratic political strategist. “She is significantly to the left of the vast majority of voters in New York.”
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., speaks with a reporter as she descends the House steps (Photo by Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Ocasio-Cortez’s internet popularity has translated into real life with some constituents, including a man who said at a town hall in March that he doesn’t live in the congresswoman’s district, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens, but says he views her as “a regular person”.
“I knew it was big,” said 21-year-old Darren Jones. “It inspires me how she’s just a regular person. She’s just out here trying to help the community.”
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., speaks with reporters Thursday, June 17, 2021, as she arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Martin)
Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The New York congresswoman was embroiled in a high-profile social media scandal this week after she re-shared with her millions of followers a video from political satirist Alex Stein, showing him complimenting her looks and calling her his “favorite Latina with a big ass.” as she ascended the steps of the Capitol.
Ocasio-Cortez posted on social media that the comments were “racist” and “sexist,” adding that it was “shameful to work in an institution that openly allows this.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s viral response drew immediate criticism from social media users who pointed to a past tweet in which she appeared to dismiss concerns about the safety of Supreme Court Justice Brett Cavanaugh.
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“Poor guy,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted in response to a report that pro-choice protesters had disrupted Cavanaugh’s dinner at a Washington, D.C., restaurant. “He left before his souffle because he decided that half the country should risk dying if they had an ectopic pregnancy in the wrong state borders.” All this is very unfair to him. The least they can do is let him eat cake.”
The congresswoman’s tweet came less than a month after the alleged attempt on Kavanaugh’s life in response to a leaked draft opinion foreshadowing the eventual overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Real Clear Investigations senior writer Mark Hemingway was one of many on social media to criticize Ocasio-Cortez’s new tone, tweeting: “Four days ago she was defending protesters chasing Supreme Court justices from a private facility. Today she suggests they go after a man who said rude things about her on the steps of a public building. She should probably pick a consistent position here.”
Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and send tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.
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