Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lashed out against President Trump for repeatedly referring to her as “AOC” during Thursday night’s presidential debate, saying the nickname — which she has promoted since launching her political career — is only reserved for her constituents.
Trump twice referred to the Bronx-born congresswoman in response to a question about climate change and the economy.
“If someone told me 3 years ago, while I was waitressing to help my family stay afloat, that in a few short years an unhinged President of the United States would be repeatedly saying my name at the 2020 debate, I would’ve brought them some water and told them to sober up,” she tweeted Thursday night.
She then railed, “AOC is a name given to me by community & the people. Y’all can call me AOC.
“Government colleagues referring to each other in a public or professional context (aka who don’t know me like that) should refer to their peers as ‘Congresswoman,’ ‘Representative,’etc. Basic respect 101.”
Trump spoke of “AOC plus three” in an apparent reference to Ocasio-Cortez and the other members of the so-called “Squad,” Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).
Earlier this month, Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress at 31, took similar issue when Vice President Mike Pence referred to her by her initials at his own debate.
“For the record @Mike_Pence, it’s Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez to you,” Ocasio-Cortez snapped on Twitter.
The representative of the Bronx and Queens wrapped up her online rant Thursday night with a message for the GOP.
“I wonder if Republicans understand how much they advertise their disrespect of women in debates when they consistently call women members of Congress by nicknames or first names while using titles & last names when referring to men of = stature,” she tweeted.
“Women notice. It conveys a lot.”