Jason Whitlock and Michael Tracey Call Out AOC's Manipulation of Capitol Events

AOC is still hard at work milking the Capitol unrest for Kabuki theater, and demanding that Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley be removed because they are not only a threat to the nation, but to her safety.

AOC used her Instagram Live to recreate her ordeal, and to also share that she is the victim of sexual assault. It seems the January 6 mess triggered that former trauma.

Being an abuse survivor myself, I’m not unsympathetic. Certain things, even non-traumatic things, can flip the switch, and it’s important to recognize when that happens and have the proper coping mechanisms to pull you back to reality. Maybe it’s because I’m an Olds, but confessing and regurgitating live on Instagram is not a proper coping mechanism.

I don’t see how it is beneficial to drop that very personal piece of information on a live video feed that anyone can take and use either to validate their impressions or tear down your narrative. I am also suspect that she chose to link it to Senator Ted Cruz’s insistence to move on and use it for political theater. If this were me, I would have worked it through with a therapist—I’m sure her well-padded government health insurance pays for that. Instead, AOC chose to work it through with her Instagram and Twitter fan base. Since I’m playing armchair psychologist, I’d say that this is attention-seeking behavior. But we know that describes her entire congressional career up to this point.

My colleague Bonchie wrote,

“The vileness and manipulation with which AOC operates is a sight to behold. She also happens to be a conspiratorial nut-job as bad as any Qanon believer. She just believes the “right” conspiracies and she’s woke, though, so she’s treated as legitimate.

“Last night, she took to Instagram to give her account of the Jan. 6th riot at the Capitol. Previously, she had claimed Ted Cruz and others had attempted to have her “murdered” on that day. She extrapolated on the claim, presenting herself as having a near death experience.”

The January 6 unrest happened almost a month ago; so AOC dredging up a past abuse that was triggered by the events comes off as calculated, deliberate, and as Michael Tracey rightly points out, manipulative.

This is a masterclass in emotional manipulation — a genuine political/rhetorical skill. Gotta hand it to her https://t.co/77aBDoMuSr

— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) February 2, 2021

Bur the additional layer of comparison, to 9-11 is truly beyond the pale and an insult to people who lost friends, loved ones, colleagues, their moorings and sense of safety on that day. AOC was around 11-years old when 9-11 occurred, so she was old enough to understand and see the unfolding horror, and how deeply embedded the trauma was for New Yorkers and the entire nation. This cavalier comparison reflects not only her lack of empathy, but an incredible inability to understand the weight of certain historical events.

Anyone who would say #AOC was exaggerating needs to be immediately arrested for #treason, #sedition, and sent to #Quantanamo to await trial in several years as we did the other suspected #terrorists after #911, which was not nearly as bad as the #terrorist attack on January 6th.

— Skeptic (@RawMixedNuts) February 2, 2021

Outkick’s co-owner and Sports Writer Jason Whitlock was having none of it.

Think this through. American kids grow up in zip codes where shootings are daily occurrences, murders happen 6 to 10 times a year, not uncommon to be forced into a gang. Our politicians do little to protect them and rarely speak of them. But Jan 6 was 9/11 to AOC. GTFOH

— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) February 2, 2021

It's blown my mind watching people act like Jan 6 was Pearl Harbor. People are saying this with a straight face. https://t.co/3VAHIkKypa

— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) February 2, 2021

This is AOC and her following. The stunning lack of awareness and historical perspective is tragic. As Whitlock rightly points out, inner-city children are being traumatized daily by violence and death, and her Squad is on the side of defunding the police. The Sun recorded AOC’s response to the trauma caused by months of rioting, looting, and destruction of property after George Floyd’s death.

“ ‘The New York representative said: I think that these protests have absolutely woken a lot of people up. Now, you have to acknowledge that it’s a place of privilege to be woken up to this.

“ ‘If you never knew this was an issue before and now you’re realizing it now, you know, there’s a huge privilege in that.

“ ‘But, listen, whatever gets the job done gets it done, and if you were out in the street, or if you were supporting a bail fund, or if you were posting things to social media – you were part of that movement, and we’re seeing that in the poll numbers.’ “

AOC compares the destruction and unrest that happened in the Summer of 2020 as part of a “movement”. But the destruction and unrest that happened on January 6 was an “insurrection”, “coup”, “sedition”, and incited by her colleagues across the aisle.

#AOC wasn’t triggered all last year when riot after riot was breaking out across the country & she did nothing to stop it? I hope she doesn’t become a mom. #TuesdayVibe #BS #AOCResign #ImpeachAOC https://t.co/12JxVuvssI

— 🐶 PuppiesRCute (@AlwaysSayYes123) February 2, 2021

Nothing to see here, just a massaging of a narrative that suits a certain agenda. But we knew this.

Let's take Pearl Harbor off the table then. You realize these politicians went back to work 3 hours after the "insurrection?" Riots in Ferguson, Baltimore, Kenosha, Atlanta, Minneapolis, etc? You think everyone went back to work inside those BURNED buildings 3 hours later? https://t.co/HnALYT98Xm

— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) February 2, 2021

Boom. Whitlock nails it to the wall. This has nothing to do with past trauma and feeling unsafe.

As we move away from last night’s Instagram theater meant to manipulate an emotional response, the critical thinkers are seeing in the light of day what is really going on.

Every time I see her is heartbreaking. Do we really need an emotionally unstable liberal influencing national policy? Zero sympathy for her. None. Too many people have overcome. She's lying anyway.

— DistractedShieldmaiden (@DistractedShie1) February 2, 2021

As my colleague Bonchie has pointed out, she has a pattern of drama, hyperbole, and outright lies.

“The fact that this woman’s first thought goes to some conspiracy theory nonsense that the police are actually there to attack her is astonishing. Of course, AOC isn’t new to this kind of stuff. She once spread a still unproven allegation that Border Patrol agents harassed her while she was visiting a detention facility. In other words, she has a long history of making things up to fit her desired political narratives.”

AOC is like a teenager who cuts themself; only her knife is creating fake drama, and we are the ones left with the bleeding and damage.

Because a good majority of AOC’s critics are male, the cries of misogyny, mansplaining, and toxic masculinity poured from her fan base. Radio personality Krystle Baker wasn’t enjoying the theater either, and she brought more receipts.

Forgive me if I'm not completely sympathetic to a woman who has time and time again lied about her experiences, and also wants to make it more difficult for law-abiding women to carry guns. #AOC

— Krystle Baker (@TarheelKrystle) February 2, 2021

Remember that time she claimed Yoho "bullied" her and "called her a bitch", and then we found out after her tantrum that it was a lie? And the empty immigration cages she cried at?

— Krystle Baker (@TarheelKrystle) February 2, 2021

AOC is constantly accusing everyone else of targeting her. Her go-to defense for anything is playing the victim card. She isn't an actual strong independent woman–she's a manipulative cry baby.

— Krystle Baker (@TarheelKrystle) February 2, 2021

The other “M” word raises its head again. Michael Tracey and journalist Amber Athey put a fine point on just how deep this manipulation goes.

Last week, after Ted Cruz offered to work with her on regulating Wall Street, she accused him of conspiring to have her murdered. This week, she invokes sexual assault in order to tarnish as a "trauma"-inducing abuser anyone who casts doubt on that outlandish theory https://t.co/9IQgnR13ta

— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) February 2, 2021

She made an accusation that Ted Cruz tried to have her killed. Rather than defend that allegation, she accused the people criticizing her of being like sexual abusers. Get it? https://t.co/gffqao6uQK

— Amber Athey (@amber_athey) February 2, 2021

She invoked her alleged sexual assault in order to shame as abusive those who don’t uncritically affirm her histrionic account of what occurred at the Capitol. If you don’t see the manipulativeness inherent in that rhetorical tactic, you are delusional https://t.co/maQoomIe9W

— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) February 2, 2021