During an appearance on CNN’s “State Of The Union,” U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( characterized the events of January 6 as a “terrorist attack” orchestrated by former President Donald Trump.
Responding to questions about Trump’s treatment under the law, Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the unprecedented nature of the criminal charges, indictments, and investigations against him. She framed the issue as one of corruption and criminality rather than partisan politics, stressing that Trump’s actions transcended party lines.
“What do you say to an independent voter or an average voter who looks at what’s going on with Donald Trump?” Tapper asked before listing the number of politically motivated civil and criminal cases targeting the former president. “What do you say to a voter who says, well, that doesn’t look like he’s being treated equally before the law that looks like somebody that the government is going after?”
“Has there ever been a president, Republican or Democrat that has been subject to this level of criminal charges, indictments, and investigations? This is not about party. This is not about politics. This is about corruption and criminality,” the far-left congresswoman replied. “We’re talking about an individual who ordered essentially a terrorist attack on the Capital of the United States in order to retain power. That, that is not about being a Republican. It is not about being a Democrat. It’s about being an unethical individual who is subject and prone to criminality.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks drew attention to her previous statements about the January 6 Capitol protest and riot, where she expressed fear for her life and claimed that she and her colleagues were in imminent danger. However, it was later revealed that she was not in the building during the events she described.
Critics have pointed out a contrast between Ocasio-Cortez’s characterization of the January 6 events and her previous stance on the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. While she defended the protests as a means of making people uncomfortable, she now condemns the actions of January 6 as terrorism.
The congresswoman’s evolving rhetoric has sparked controversy, with some accusing her of inconsistency in her views on protest and civil unrest.
