
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke during a powerful Instagram Live broadcast Monday night about being a survivor of sexual assault. She made the statement while contextualizing her trauma in the wake of the insurrection at the US Capitol last month.
She said those in Congress who are telling her “to move on,” or even apologize, following the violent insurrection at the Capitol in January were using “the same tactics of abusers.”
Watch below.
“The reason I say this and the reason I’m getting emotional in this moment is because these folks who tell us to move on, that it’s not a big deal, that we should forget what’s happened, or even telling us to apologize. These are the same tactics of abusers. And, um, I’m a survivor of sexual assault,” Ocasio-Cortez said. The congresswoman did not share details of the assault.
“And I haven’t told many people that in my life. But when we go through trauma, trauma compounds on each other. And so, whether you had a negligent or a neglectful parent, and — or whether you had someone who was verbally abusive to you, whether you are a survivor of abuse, whether you experience any sort of trauma in your life, small to large — these episodes can compound on one another.”
She went through a detailed account of her day on January 6, recounting her experience during the riot. You can read it in full here.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.