Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a social media sensation, is helping school other Democratic lawmakers on how to appear more authentic on platforms like Twitter.
The 29-year-old Democrat from New York and Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., will give lessons “on the most effective ways to engage constituents on Twitter and the importance of digital storytelling,” USA Today reported Wednesday.
The House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee is hosting the session Thursday. Representatives from Twitter and the House Administration Committee will also be on hand for the training.
Himes, who has 76,500 Twitter followers, told the news outlet that some older members of Congress are “pretty clueless” about social media.
“It’s pretty clear that a lot of members have 25-year-olds in their offices [running their social media],” Himes said, noting that many people want to see a less-manicured version of politicians.
Ocasio-Cortez frequently makes headlines for her zingy tweets firing back at her critics and Instagram livestreams where she engages with her followers while cooking in her kitchen. She has more than 2.4 million Twitter followers, and 1.8 million people follow her on Instagram.
The freshman congresswoman brings more star power to Twitter than most of her Democratic colleagues and potential 2020 presidential candidates, according to an analysis by Axios.
In the last month, Ocasio-Cortez had 11.8 million total interactions on Twitter, including retweets and likes — more than five news organizations who have garnered the most engagement combined. Former President Barack Obama, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also trailed Ocasio-Cortez in engagement.
Some lawmakers are already taking notes from Ocasio-Cortez.
On New Year’s Eve, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., cracked open a beer on Instagram Live and answered questions from her followers hours after announcing she was launching an exploratory committee for president.
