New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has accused conservative journalist Nick Sortor of assault during a confrontation in the U.S. Capitol. However, Sortor has shared video footage of the exchange, denying any physical contact and asserting that her claims are false.
In a video posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday evening, Sortor can be seen questioning Ocasio-Cortez about the impact of the southern border crisis on her congressional district. During the interaction, her staffers appeared to block Sortor’s path while the lawmaker implied he had touched her on the staircase.
“Your district is really suffering under the pressure of the border crisis,” Sortor asked. “Are you talking to the Biden administration about fixing the border?”
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: I confronted AOC at the Capitol over her refusal to condemn the Biden Migrant Crisis, which led to a migrant setting an innocent woman on fire today
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 23, 2024
AOC blamed DANIEL PENNY for subways being unsafe, and encourages even MORE unvetted migrants to pour across the… pic.twitter.com/g71lGW8JEv
Towards the end of the footage, Ocasio-Cortez repeatedly said, “Sir, don’t touch me.” Sortor responded emphatically, “I did not touch you. I have it on video.”
Sortor later claimed on X that Ocasio-Cortez contacted the U.S. Capitol Police after the incident.
“I confronted AOC at the Capitol over her refusal to condemn the Biden Migrant Crisis, which led to a migrant setting an innocent woman on fire today,” Sortor wrote. “She responded by falsely accusing me of assault and even got the Capitol Police involved, who agreed I never touched her.”
AOC: The subway will be safer if we lock up people like Daniel Penny pic.twitter.com/6R5SyndtHc
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 10, 2024
He continued, “AOC is one of the WORST members of Congress, and her lack of action is costing the lives of innocent New Yorkers.”
The video, which included vulgar language, was captioned:
“EXCLUSIVE: I confronted AOC at the Capitol over her refusal to condemn the Biden Migrant Crisis, which led to a migrant setting an innocent woman on fire today.”
Sortor also accused Ocasio-Cortez of “blaming Daniel Penny for subways being unsafe” while encouraging unvetted migrants to cross the border. Penny, recently acquitted in the death of Jordan Neely on a New York subway, had been the subject of criticism from Ocasio-Cortez.
“The subway will be safer if we lock up people like Daniel Penny,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a recirculated video following Penny’s acquittal. “The fact that a person has expressed no remorse indicates a risk that it may happen again. And if we do not want to unleash that level of violence, then we should exert a level of accountability to prevent that from happening.”
Her remarks come amid heightened concerns over public safety on New York City’s transit system. On Sunday, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala was accused of setting a woman on fire aboard a subway car.
Sortor’s claims and video have sparked sharp criticism from Ocasio-Cortez’s political opponents, who accuse her of deflecting from the border crisis. The Capitol Police have not issued a statement regarding the incident.
