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The political rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been swift — and much of it has unfolded before your eyes on Twitter. From her campaign for Congress up until now, the 29-year-old legislator has proved herself adept not only at making a point in the length of a tweet, but perhaps even more so in responding to her critics. These Ocasio-Cortez Twitter clapbacks show just how skilled she is at social media and sticking up for herself and her ideas.
Ocasio-Cortez is pretty much a natural at the Twitter response, and she's even acknowledged as much herself. "If the clapbacks aren’t enough to prove I’m a Bronxite, folks are more than welcome to keep catching these Twitter hands," she posted in July 2018.
Twitter users first noticed she posted searing responses to attacks on her during the campaign season, but she didn't hold off after her election — or after being sworn in. One prominent example includes a literal dance in the Capitol.
Another notable part of her tweets is that she doesn't solely respond to haters on the social network. Ocasio-Cortez will take a screen grab from cable news or take a picture in real life and then respond to it on Twitter.
With each of these posts, she's showing that there's no limit to the clapback, or standing up for oneself.
2) To A Senator About Winning The Midwest
Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois warned about the Democratic Party moving "too far to the left" and losing Midwestern voters. Ocasio-Cortez had a different idea.
7) The One Against Toxic Masculinity
Conservative commenter Ben Shapiro had offered Ocasio-Cortez $10,000 to debate him, saying he'd donate the sum to her campaign if she agreed.
"I don’t owe a response to unsolicited requests from men with bad intentions," Ocasio-Cortez responded.
8) At Attacks On Her Clothes
Why respond with a single point when you can break it down into four parts? Ocasio-Cortez was attacked for having appeared in a photoshoot with fancy clothes; she then explained how photoshoots work.
11) Plus Her Orientation In Congress
"Try believing women + people of color," Ocasio-Cortez wrote to a critic who is neither. GOP strategist Arthur Schwartz posted that he talked with a member of Congress who said there were no intern events on the day that AOC made her comment original comment on being given directions to the wrong events on Capitol Hill. She clarified when it happened in her response.
12) She Clapped Back At Misogyny Online
Again, Ocasio-Cortez didn't engage in the attack directly by defending her clothes. Rather, she went further and addressed the underlying misogyny. A conservative media personality had attacked her for wearing nice clothes. She pointed out that whatever she wore wouldn't matter and then brought up the bigger problem when the original tweet was deleted.
13) Then There's The "Weird Uncle With Questionable Racial Beliefs"
Expanding from the criticisms of the Electoral College, Ocasio-Cortez addressed how rural, whiter parts of America are comparatively more represented.
18) AOC Clapped Back About The Croissants
When her own tweets are used against her, she doesn't back down. She doubles down on her point. Ted Cruz had tried to attack her using the croissant comment. "Here’s the answer: government-mandated FREE CROISSANTS FOR ALL," Cruz had written. "And we’ll just force the bakers to give all of their time for free."
"GOP taking every tweet so earnestly," she responded, "making my point for me."
19) She Also Promises Many More
The entire Democratic caucus is not equally up to speed on the art of the clapback — but nor do they necessarily need to be. Ocasio-Cortez comes under more fire than most. That hasn't stopped her from spreading her knowledge around to help others in Congress. She even gave a training in January on social media.
What all of this shows is that Ocasio-Cortez's tweets are here to stay — and they're something others on Capitol Hill seem to want to emulate.
They just need to make sure they're being true to themselves and their brand as a legislator, as AOC clearly is.
