AOC Speaks on Trauma from Capitol Attack

AOC speaking.

The January 6th Capitol Trump-fueled insurrection affected everyone in different ways, but the most prominent reflection on the experience of the attack comes from progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. During a February 1st Instagram Live, the second-term representative was refreshingly honest about her feelings regarding the attack.


Rep. Ocasio-Cortez went on to explain what occurred during the day of the attack, specifically highlighting what it was like for her to run into California Representative Katie Porter’s office thinking she was going to die. When faced with the potential reality of it, AOC says, “I felt that if this was the journey that my life was taking, that, I felt that things were going to be OK, and that, you know, I had fulfilled my purpose.”

While sharing her experience, AOC also revealed that she was the victim of sexual assault, explaining that “these are the same tactics of abusers” in telling others to get over what happened in the Capitol riots. In a time where conservatives are trying to move past their support of the Trump administration and the riot themselves, AOC provides us with a more in depth analysis of the situation: that trauma compounds onto trauma, and that no form of evasive maneuvering can erase the effect the attacks had on the people who lived through them.

AOC has been the target of ire from Republicans and conservatives alike since her initial tenure as a House Representative. AOC has called for the resignation of those in public office that supported the riots, including Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz.


Representative Katie Porter also spoke about her experience during the Capitol riot on MSNBC when AOC entered her office explaining she was looking for a place to hide. Porter replied, “It’s okay, I’m a mom. I’m calm, I’ve got everything here we need to live for like a month in this office.” AOC replied, “I hope I get to be a mom someday. I hope I don’t die today.”

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