Snopes went first amongst liberal “reality checkers” in defending Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez towards conservative critics of her Instagram Reside testimony in regards to the trauma of the Capitol riot, however different aggressive defenders adopted, at AP and PolitiFact and The Washington Publish. Solely CNN determined to flag AOC for saying some unproven issues.
PolitiFact skipped their “Reality-O-Meter” for a function titled Ask PolitiFact: Where was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during the Capitol riot? PolitiFact author Invoice McCarthy was defense-lawyering for AOC:
“AOC wasn’t even within the Capitol constructing throughout her ‘close to demise’ expertise,” learn one headline on RedState, considered one of several conservative websites that questioned Ocasio-Cortez’s account.
“AOC lied!” one other headline said. “She Wasn’t Even within the Capitol Constructing Throughout the Riot…Her Life Was By no means in Hazard: Report.”
Related claims attacking Ocasio-Cortez cropped up in widespread posts on Fb, the place they have been flagged as a part of the corporate’s efforts to fight false information and misinformation on its Information Feed. (Learn extra about our partnership with Facebook.)
The criticism additionally reached cable information. “There have been no rioters in (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s) hallway,” said Fox Information host Tucker Carlson. “Trump voters weren’t making an attempt to kill her.”
….It’s true that Ocasio-Cortez was not in the principle Capitol constructing the place the Home and Senate chambers are positioned as rioters broke in. She was within the Cannon constructing.
However she by no means claimed in her video to have been in the principle Capitol constructing, and the Cannon constructing was considered one of two buildings within the broader Capitol advanced that was pressured to evacuate.
McCarthy had nothing on AOC claiming Ted Cruz tried to get her killed. For an additional instance of how tremendously biased McCarthy is, see the latest from James Agresti.
Associated Press checker Ali Swenson was additionally “all in” for defending AOC:
CLAIM: U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, falsely claimed she confronted rioters in the principle Capitol constructing through the Jan. 6 rebel.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Ocasio-Cortez by no means claimed she was in the principle Capitol constructing, nor did she declare she was face-to-face with a mob of violent rioters.
Swenson even went comfortable on Jussie Smollett: Critics “appeared to liken the congresswoman to former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging a racist, anti-gay assault towards himself in 2019.” Cannot a reality checker acknowledge he faked it?
Washington Publish reality checkers Glenn Kessler and Adriana Usero got here final on Saturday, assigning “4 Pinocchios” to Marjorie Taylor-Greene for saying on Friday “I used to be within the chamber, not like AOC — Consultant Ocasio-Cortez — that faked her outrage with one other hoax, simply one other hoax that will get shared in every single place.” They waited for the most popular anti-AOC take: “There was no hoax. Ocasio-Cortez’s phrases have been twisted past recognition.”
Kessler and Usero concluded: “Ocasio-Cortez has many critics who leap at any attainable misstep, however the issue was compounded when a tweet by a GOP member of Congress was perceived as confirming the right-wing critique. As a substitute, that lawmaker was faulting the media for misreporting Ocasio-Cortez’s story.”
Ocasio-Cortez additionally has many defenders who leap to defend her and ignore any missteps. Take a bow, Posties.
CNN’s Daniel Dale deserves credit score on this case for being the one considered one of these to guage AOC, not simply defend her. Is that so onerous? For instance:
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Wednesday, “The bombs Trump supporters planted surrounded our workplaces too.”
Info First: The assertion that Trump supporters planted the bombs has not been proved.
And the Ted Cruz slur on Twitter:
Ocasio-Cortez responded, “I’m pleased to work with Republicans on this subject the place there’s frequent floor, however you nearly had me murdered 3 weeks in the past so you may sit this one out. Comfortable to work w/ nearly another GOP that are not making an attempt to get me killed. Within the meantime if you wish to assist, you may resign.”
Info First: There isn’t any proof for the accusation that Cruz was “making an attempt” to get Ocasio-Cortez killed. Whereas Ocasio-Cortez can mount an affordable argument that the Texas Republican’s actions had the impact of fueling the violent rebel, that is totally different than saying he really tried to attain the killing of any member of Congress. Cruz didn’t advocate violence towards Ocasio-Cortez, a lot much less name for her homicide.
For his examine on candidate AOC’s dramatic staging of the immigration subject at a fence in Texas, see here.
Additionally see how nobody requested for AOC stating “without evidence” that she was a sexual assault sufferer.
