Queen of social media Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) erupted in fury at White House senior advisor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday after being called out for not commenting on the Easter attack by ISIS that killed hundreds of Christians in Sri Lanka last weekend. Ocasio-Cortez’s excuse is that she was “away from tech” while visiting her grandmother in Puerto Rico last weekend.
Conway blew that excuse out of the water noting Ocasio-Cortez tweeted promotions of a movie about her 2018 Congressional campaign the day after the attack.
Screen image via Newsweek, Twitter.
Conway mentioned Ocasio-Cortez in comments to Jake Tapper on CNN Sunday morning. CNN political analyst Julian Zelizer on Twitter erroneously accused Conway of saying Ocasio-Cortez had ignored the attack on Jewish worshipers on Saturday by a white supremacist at Chabad in Poway synagogue in Southern California that killed one and wounded three including the Rabbi.
Wrong again. You can delete or apologize (holds breath)
I was referring to @AOC silence about the Sri Lanka massacre of Christians (not “Easter Worshippers” as Obama and Hillary oddly said).
Try listening before spewing. https://t.co/jNm7ypRO6f
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) April 28, 2019
Zelizer later deleted and apologized.
@KellyannePolls, I misheard you. I have since gone back and reviewed. Apologies and I will delete. pic.twitter.com/lOj5SbsLV7
— Julian Zelizer (@julianzelizer) April 28, 2019
Transcript of Conway’s comment about Ocasio-Cortez that occurred in the midst of a debate with host Jake Tapper about President Trump’s statement about the deadly protests by white supremacists and Antifa in Charlottesville in 2017.
CONWAY: I see officials who get a lot of airtime and ink, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, congresswoman, who tweets many times about the mosque and never once about the…
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: But, Kellyanne, you brought up Charlottesville.
(CROSSTALK)
CONWAY: … in Sri Lanka.
Ocasio-Cortez took offense at Conway calling her out for grandstanding on the attack on Muslims in New Zealand last month by a white supremacist but ignoring the attack on Christians on Easter Sunday by ISIS Islamist terrorists.
Ocasio-Cortez fired off an angry tweet storm at Conway, eventually posting her first comments about the Sri Lanka attacks after one week of silence.
“Hello Ms. Conway, On Easter I was away from tech visiting my grandmother in Puerto Rico, which continues to suffer from the White House’s incompetent disaster response. Are you trying to imply that I am less Christian? What was the point of you bringing this up on national TV?”
“The terrorist attack in Sri Lanka was horrifying. Saying ‘Easter worshippers’ matters bc Easter is the holiest day of the year for Christians, & to be targeted on Easter highlights how heinous the attack was – just as saying yesterday’s #SanDiego shooting was on Passover.”
Hello Ms. Conway,
On Easter I was away from tech visiting my grandmother in Puerto Rico, which continues to suffer from the White House’s incompetent disaster response.
Are you trying to imply that I am less Christian? What was the point of you bringing this up on national TV? https://t.co/TIypLf2CaB
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 28, 2019
I chose to use the word ‘incompetent’ when it comes to Trump’s response to Hurricane María & the 3,000 Americans who died on his watch, but that’s only because I had 280 characters.
There are plenty of other words too:
– Negligent
– Inept
– Inhumane
– PredatoryTake your pick.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 28, 2019
“Corrupt” is a good one, too.
I’m curious, how do you spin ignoring and neglecting the largest mass death of people on American soil in decades, @KellyannePolls?
After all, the official count of 3,075 people is much bigger than the 64 number your admin clung to for so long.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 28, 2019
The terrorist attack in Sri Lanka was horrifying. Saying ‘Easter worshippers’ matters bc Easter is the holiest day of the year for Christians, & to be targeted on Easter highlights how heinous the attack was – just as saying yesterday’s #SanDiego shooting was on Passover.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 28, 2019
You are using this as an excuse to stoke suspicion around my Christianity + faith life, @KellyannePolls.
The Sri Lanka massacre was horrifying. No one should be targeted for their religion.
If you’re so moved, let’s do more to welcome immigrants fleeing religious persecution.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 28, 2019
Conway responded to Ocasio-Cortez, noting she had tweeted about the movie the day after the attack, but made no comment on the attack until the Sunday after.
“1/2: Hi Congresswoman @AOC. My best to your grandmother. My grandmothers are irreplaceable; miss them every day.
Good that you now condemn Sri Lanka massacre. Some found it odd a prolific tweeter was silent. Following day you tweeted about your movie:”
“2/2: @AOC you and I agree. I said on @CNN today & elsewhere that people of all faiths should be free from harm.
I judge no one’s faith, incl. yours Extreme Ideas like Green New Deal & Socialized Medicine DO scare me tho! Areas for bipartisanship? Call me. Much work to do 🇺🇸”
1/2: Hi Congresswoman @AOC.
My best to your grandmother.
My grandmothers are irreplaceable; miss them every day.Good that you now condemn Sri Lanka massacre. Some found it odd a prolific tweeter was silent. Following day you tweeted about your movie:https://t.co/KERH0AD2je https://t.co/CpbunUz6C8
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) April 28, 2019
2/2: @AOC you and I agree. I said on @CNN today & elsewhere that people of all faiths should be free from harm.
I judge no one’s faith, incl. yours
Extreme Ideas like Green New Deal & Socialized Medicine DO scare me tho!
Areas for bipartisanship? Call me.
Much work to do 🇺🇸 https://t.co/0t463Hlqw7— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) April 28, 2019
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted about her movie on April 22 and retweeted a promo posted the same day.
Before my primary, three women & I agreed to film our journey of trying to run for office without big money.
Now, #KnockDownTheHouse hits Netflix & select theaters next week, May 1st.
To find or host a local community screening, follow: @knockdownmoviepic.twitter.com/THpgkzzqdc
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 22, 2019
The trailer for Netflix’s @AOC documentary will get you fired up all over again pic.twitter.com/CYoXX15lLy
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 22, 2019
Note: Within hours of the Chabad in Poway attack, Ocasio-Cortez was politicizing the attack, “Heartbroken to hear of the San Diego synagogue shooting, particularly so on this final day of Passover. We have a responsibility to love + protect our neighbors. The longer the Senate delays holding a vote on #HR8, the more we put Americans at risk.”
Heartbroken to hear of the San Diego synagogue shooting, particularly so on this final day of Passover.
We have a responsibility to love + protect our neighbors.
The longer the Senate delays holding a vote on #HR8, the more we put Americans at risk.https://t.co/ef9FURMFQ5
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 27, 2019
