The lawmaker received criticism for attempting to gaslight the nation into believing these crimes are not happening. During an interview with the Washington Times, AOC claimed: “A lot of these allegations of organized retail theft are not actually panning out.” She continued: “I believe it’s a Walgreens in California cited it, but the data didn’t back it up.”

Conservatives pilloried Ocasio-Cortez for her blatantly untrue statements. Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) said her remarks were “tone-deaf and offensive” to the family of an Oakland security guard who was shot and killed in San Francisco while trying to protect a television news crew covering the rash of smash and grab incidents occurring in the city.

Jason Brewer, senior executive vice president of communications for the Retail Industry Leaders Association also called out the lawmaker. In an email to the Washington Times, he wrote:

Respectfully, the congresswoman has no idea what she is talking about. Both the data and stack of video evidence makes fairly clear that this is a growing problem in need of solutions.

He continued: If she is not concerned with organized theft and increasingly violent attacks on retail employees, she should just say that.

Conservative talk show host Dan Bongino also chimed in, calling AOC’s remarks “dopey.” He said:

[AOC] speaks for the dopey imbecile crowd. So listen, I ran for office a few times thankfully it didn’t work out, so I wasn’t contaminated by these swamp rodents. But, I met a lot of politicians and there’s only one of two things trying to explain politicians’ behavior when they say ridiculous absurdities like what AOC said about these smash and grabs we’re seeing on video ‘not happening.’ Number one, they’re just really dopey or number two they’re liars. Typically, in my experience, I’m not kidding it’s usually number two. Like, they’re just really skilled liars. When it comes to Joe Biden and AOC though, I’m not messing with you, I genuinely say to myself like are they just really dumb?

Former New York assemblyman Dov Hikind, in an appearance on “Fox & Friends First,” also called AOC out for peddling falsehoods. “These crimes that are being committed, there are real victims out there,” she said. “The bail reform that she supports, where criminals walk out before the police officer finishes the paperwork, it’s ridiculous, causing new victims out there. It is really out of control.”

She continued, noting that Republicans are “speaking out” on these crimes but that Democrats are remaining silent:

“Where are people from my Democratic Party? Are they blind? Maybe AOC is blind. Clearly, she doesn’t see it.”

Over the past few weeks, the nation has seen an uptick in the number of smash and grab operations taking place in major cities like San Francisco and others. RedState’s Nick Arama wrote about how these incidents are becoming increasingly violent:

As the police noted in the above video, one group that hit a Nordstrom store in Canoga Park didn’t stop with just stealing the high-end purses; they also attacked the security guard who tried to stop them, spraying him with bear spray. Some of these robbery groups are probably random groups of kids, but gangs and organized crime can also use kids to do this — knowing that there’s very little likelihood of any real punishment as a result.

CNN: “Customers are terrified” as “smash-and-grab” robbers target retailers in Democrat-run cities. pic.twitter.com/PmwYM64Ajd

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 27, 2021

These incidents are happening mostly in California’s cities because the far-leftists who run these areas have declined to prosecute those who steal less than $950 of merchandise. George Soros has backed district attorneys like San Francisco’s Chesa Boudin, who is now facing another recall effort.

An ABC News report revealed that police officers have become frustrated with the lack of accountability for those who commit these crimes. The outlet reported:

Police say there were at least 11 such robberies around Los Angeles in the week leading up to Thanksgiving, resulting in the theft of some $338,000 in retail goods.

Many of them involved flash mobs who swoop in quickly to a retail store, like Nordstrom at the Grove, smash glass cases and grab as many items as they can before fleeing.

The 14 arrests were linked to five such incidents. Three arrests resulted after a long, high-speed chase in which officers caught the suspects with car full of stolen merchandise.

Police told the news outlet that “all 14 suspects are now free again, under no-and-low bail policies” that were recently implemented in Los Angeles County.

NO CONSEQUENCES? As L.A.'s mayor announces 14 arrests in smash-and-grab robberies, the suspects are all freed from jail on little or no bail. Now frustrated cops wonder if their efforts are in vain. The zero-bail backlash – Tonight at 11 from ABC7. https://t.co/EzOh9ARN3Z pic.twitter.com/gNlnXUNVL4

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) December 3, 2021

So, is AOC “blind” as Hikind says? Is she merely “dumb” as Bongino suggested?

I would submit to you that neither is the case here. AOC is not “blind” or “dumb,” but she is a liar. With all the video footage and news reports of these crimes being committed, it is beyond the realm of rational thought to believe Ocasio-Cortez does not know what is happening.

She knows people are being victimized because of the laws she supports and she doesn’t care. The same holds true for the rest of the progressive faction of the Democratic Party. The fact is they care far more about protecting scumbags conducting these operations than safeguarding the law-abiding citizens they are victimizing.

People like AOC are zealous adherents of wokeism which dictates that government must never take a tough stance on crime no matter how many people are hurt. Since their policies are clearly causing the chaos in cities like LA and San Francisco, they would rather use deception to con people into believing that what they are seeing isn’t real than to actually change course and look for sensible solutions.

Wokeism means never having to take responsibility for the carnage your policies cause. Instead, you just pretend it’s the Republicans’ fault or act as if the problems they cause don’t actually exist. What is interesting about this is that America clearly sees through the deception – most are not on board with progressive policies which is why the Marxist crowd is having such a hard time winning influence. At this point, it appears unlikely that they will learn their lesson anytime soon.