New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed Monday that she is a survivor of a sexual assault.
The 31-year-old Democrat, speaking to more than 100,000 people on Instagram Live, described what she experienced during the Capitol riot and directed suggestions from some Republicans for Americans to “continue” since the attack. January 6.
“The reason I’m excited right now is because these people who tell us to keep going … are the same tactics of abusers,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
“And I’m a survivor of sexual assault,” she continued, her voice broken. “In my life I haven’t told many people.”
The congresswoman went on to tell more than 130,000 spectators that, regardless of the type of abuse or neglect they have experienced, “trauma occurs.”
“No, something really big happens to you and then you do it and you do it, and then when something else happens to you, you do it,” he said.
He did not immediately add anything else about the assault.
Ocasio-Cortez later detailed terrifying experiences during the siege, including how a man he believed to be a riot police broke into his Congressional office while hiding in the bathroom.
She remembered hearing him shout, “Where is he?” Where is she? ”
“That was when I thought it was all over,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
“I thought I was going to die,” he said. “I’ve never been calmer in my whole life.”
Later, his legislative director told him to leave, explaining that the man was a Capitol police officer.
Ocasio-Cortez also heeded requests to apologize after tweeting that Senator Ted Cruz “almost murdered me” during the riot.
“Some of the representatives who encouraged people to threaten members of Congress … actually apologize to me for telling and telling the truth about what happened.”
“These are the tactics that abusers do,” he said. “And how I feel, not again.
“I will not let it happen to me again … and I will not let it happen in our country.”