Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., accused the GOP of having a “hostage situation” where Republicans shy away from speaking against President Trump.
“In the Republican Party, there’s a hostage situation going on,” Ocasio-Cortez said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. “There are a lot of Republicans that know what the right thing to do is — not just on impeachment but on a wide range of issues — and they refuse to speak up.”
Ocasio-Cortez said it was “unacceptable” for Republicans to not challenge Trump, and said there was “no question” she would vote to impeach Trump.
Although Ocasio-Cortez said she understood that some lawmakers come from districts where their constituents are divided on the matter, she said it was an “easy” choice for her district and that “everyone wants” to impeach Trump.
When asked whether she would prefer for Republicans to do the “right thing” privately rather than risk losing their seats by publicly speaking out against Trump, she said it all comes down to how a member votes.
“If they vote the same way, what does it matter?” she said. “I don’t care what’s in your heart if how you are voting is the same as someone who is actually racist. At the end of the day, they think that their intentions are gonna save them, but the actual decisions you make matter.”
“I am tired of people saying, ‘I’m gonna vote the same way as bigots, but I don’t share the ideology of bigots.’ Well, you share the action and the agenda of bigots. We need to hold that accountable,” she said.
The Rolling Stone interview was published just two days after conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh accused Democrats of being to afraid to “push back” against Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., which he argued is stunting the 29-year-old’s growth as a politician.
On the GOP side, former Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Bob Corker of Tennessee, were known for publicly rebuking Trump. For example, Corker called the White House “an adult day care center,” prompting Trump respond in kind and said Corker “couldn’t get elected dog catcher.”
