Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had herself quite the week, managing to annoy conservatives on two separate occasions in the span of a few days. That takes efficiency, and honestly, you have to respect the hustle.
As Conservative Brief reported, the New York Democrat first popped up in Tennessee to campaign for Democratic state Rep. Justin Pearson, who is running for Congress in the state's 9th District. During a get-out-the-vote event, she rattled off a list of states Democrats should not abandon. "We can't afford to leave Tennessee behind, Kentucky behind, Alabama behind, Mississippi behind, Georgia behind, South Carolina behind," she said.
Perfectly normal political speech, except critics immediately noticed her voice had apparently taken on a distinctly Southern flavor. Conservatives pounced, comparing it to the times Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton were accused of adjusting their speaking styles depending on which zip code they happened to be standing in. Supporters fired back that everyone naturally shifts their tone in different settings, which is true if you have ever watched a person answer the phone at work versus answer the phone when their mom calls.
But the Tennessee trip was just the appetizer. The main course came outside the U.S. Capitol, where Newsmax correspondent Kilmeny Duchardt asked Ocasio-Cortez whether she supports a Democratic Socialists of America proposal to abolish the U.S. Senate. Rather than giving a yes or no answer (a skill that seems to elude most politicians regardless of party), she pivoted. "I mean, again, I'm not running for any larger office presently," she said, adding that abolishing the Senate "is, of course, a constitutional question."
When pressed on whether she supports the Senate itself, she went after the filibuster instead. "I don't support the filibuster," she said. "I don't support elements of this institution that we know... were founded on... Jim Crow."
Conservatives had a field day with that one, pointing out that the Senate was established in 1787, while Jim Crow laws came about roughly a century later. Ted Cruz chimed in with "This is what happens when you don't teach basic U.S. history." Though historians do note the filibuster was weaponized by Southern senators in the 20th century to block civil rights legislation, so the connection is not entirely made up. It is just that saying the Senate was "founded on" Jim Crow is doing some very creative timeline work.
Notably, she never actually said whether she wants to abolish the Senate, leaving that particular mystery unsolved like a political cliffhanger nobody asked for.
All of this comes as some members of the Democratic Socialists of America have publicly discussed backing Ocasio-Cortez for a 2028 presidential run, though she has not announced any such plans. Whether or not she runs, she continues to be one of the most reliable content generators in American politics. Every public appearance becomes a multiday discourse event. At this point, she could order a sandwich and it would trend for 48 hours.
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