Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez insists 'I still live in my hood' in escalating battle with right-wing media over apartments in DC and the Bronx
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez admitted moving apartments in New York City after sustained coverage from various news outlets of her accommodation.
- The New York Post interviewed people who used to live next to Ocasio-Cortez, who said they never see her any more, appearing to suggest that she was moving away from her roots.
- In response, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted "I still live in my hood. A spokesman said the new home is 2 blocks away from her old apartment.
- Ocasio-Cortez also criticized conservative outlets for publishing details of her home in an upscale area of Washington, DC.
- Cortez says reporting of where she lives is "reckless, irresponsible & puts people directly in danger," citing a Coast Guard lieutenant who is is accused of plotting to attack a number of high-profile Democrats including her.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez insisted that she still "lives in my hood" in response to an escalating war with right-leaning segments of the media over their scrutiny of where she chooses to live.
In the past two weeks, articles from the Washington Free Beacon and the New York Post have published pieces scrutinising her living arrangements in DC and New York City respectively.
On Sunday, Ocasio-Cortez defended her choices after the New York Post ran a story, based on interviews with former neighbors, suggesting she no longer spends much time in the Bronx neighborhood that she represents, a pivotal part of her political persona.
She said: "I still live in my hood and literally instagrammed from my apartment tonight."
She went on to cite her personal safety for keeping the specifics to herself, saying: "A man was just arrested last week with a stockpile of guns specifically trying to kill me & others, so yeah I'm not gonna disclose my personal address or tell people when I move. Sorry!"
Ocasio-Cortez was likely referring to Coast Guard lieutenant Christopher Hasson who was arrested on February 15, and is accused of plotting to attack a number of high-profile Democrats including her.
A spokesman told the Post in a later story that "She lives in the same neighborhood she's lived in for years." He said the new place is a two-bedroom apartment "a block and a half away."
Ocasio-Cortez also critcized journalists for trying to report where she lives in Washington DC on Febuary 21, the day after the news of Hasson's alleged plot broke.
"Journalists are sharing stories about where I live the same day it's shared that myself + others were targeted by a mass shooter," she tweeted.
"All this paired w/ amplifying unvetted conspiracy theories. It's reckless, irresponsible & puts people directly in danger. This isn't a game."
Ocasio-Cortez was referring to articles published after an earlier report from The Washington Free Beacon. An article published by the outlet on February 13 said she had "moved into a luxury apartment building in the District of Columbia's Navy Yard neighborhood." It did not name the building.
The outlet cited suggestions that Ocasio-Cortez could be considered a hypocrite for living in a luxury development while campaigning for affordable housing. Her office rejected the suggestion.
Business Insider has contacted the New York Post and Washington Free Beacon for comment.