Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was slammed on Twitter after posting a picture of her grandmother’s Hurricane Maria-damaged home in Puerto Rico and appearing to blame former President Donald Trump for the disrepair.
“Just over a week ago, my abuela fell ill,” the New York Democrat tweeted Wednesday. “I went to Puerto Rico to see her — my 1st time in a year+ bc of COVID. This is her home. Hurricane María relief hasn’t arrived. Trump blocked relief $ for PR. People are being forced to flee ancestral homes, & developers are taking them.”
Just over a week ago, my abuela fell ill. I went to Puerto Rico to see her- my 1st time in a year+ bc of COVID.
This is her home. Hurricane María relief hasn’t arrived. Trump blocked relief $ for PR.
People are being forced to flee ancestral homes, & developers are taking them. pic.twitter.com/wnRxLalA2D
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 2, 2021
In the photo, her grandmother’s roof clearly needs repair work and appears to be partially caving in. Many Twitter users responded by criticizing Ocasio-Cortez for not paying to fix the roof herself, citing her $174,000-a-year salary and recent purchase of a Tesla.
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“Honey, you drive a Tesla and have two apartments,” Republican congressional candidate Lavern Spicer tweeted. “If your grandmother is living poor that’s because you don’t help her out. I’m surprised that a socialist wouldn’t redistribute that wealth to their grandma. Sad!”
Honey, you drive a Tesla and have two apartments. If your grandmother is living poor that’s because you don’t help her out. I’m surprised that a socialist wouldn’t redistribute that wealth to their grandma. Sad!
— Lavern Spicer (@lavern_spicer) June 2, 2021
“You need to help her!” Newsbusters’ Curtis Houck wrote.
You need to help her! https://t.co/DIezePzMSf
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 3, 2021
“You live in luxury now that you make a ton of money and you don’t help your grandma?” freelance writer Kambree Koa tweeted. “That’s cruel.”
You live in luxury now that you make a ton of money and you don’t help your grandma?
That’s cruel.
— Kambree (@KamVTV) June 2, 2021
“You’re a wealthy and famous politician. You can’t spare a couple bucks to spruce up your ‘abuela’s’ home?” conservative commentator Michael Knowles tweeted.
You’re a wealthy and famous politician. You can’t spare a couple bucks to spruce up your “abuela’s” home? https://t.co/BnkLCVFB5K
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) June 2, 2021
In a later tweet, Ocasio-Cortez told her followers that her grandmother is doing fine.
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“And for the record — my abuela is doing okay. It’s not about us, but about what’s happening to Puerto Rican’s across the island,” she explained. “She had a place to go to and be cared for — what about the thousands of people who don’t?”
Hurricane Maria hit the island nation of Puerto Rico during Trump’s presidency in 2018, killing a reported 3,000 people and causing tens of billions of dollars in damages.
Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
