AOC defends Elizabeth Warren against 'misogynistic trope' after Democratic debate
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has defended Elizabeth Warren against criticism of her Las Vegas debate performance, saying a critique calling the Massachusetts senator “mean and angry” was a “misogynistic trope”.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez, who has endorsed Ms Warren’s opponent Bernie Sanders, argued in a series of tweets that the Massachusetts senator's searing attacks on billionaire Michael Bloomberg — which led to considerable positive media attention and a strong day of fundraising for her — showed she is strong, and that some of the responses have been sexist.
“Warren was not mean, nor angry. She was effective,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez said. “And by the way, we are allowed to be angry about racial profiling, You’re allowed to be angry about sexual harassment. Or at big banks committing fraud against single parents. Anger at injustice is quite appropriate.”
Ms Ocasio-Cortez continued: “It’s truly time to retire the misogynistic trope that angry men are powerful, yet angry women are unhinged.
“It’s such gaslighting nonsense,” she said. “You SHOULD be mad at abuse of power. The real question is how one channels that energy into positive change that creates justice.”
It’s truly time to retire the misogynist trope that angry men are powerful, yet angry women are unhinged.
It’s such gaslighting nonsense. You SHOULD be mad at abuse of power. The real question is how one channels that energy into positive change that creates justice.— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC)
Ms Ocasio-Cortez was responding specifically to a tweet from Jennifer Rubin, a conservative opinion writer for the Washington Post, who also later tweeted support for Ms Warren on Thursday and even called her attacks on Mr Bloomberg "skillful".
Mean and angry Warren is not a good look
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger)
Ms Warren is fighting for her campaign’s life in the Democratic primary, after failing to gain enthusiastic support in New Hampshire and Iowa, the first two states to vote in the primary process.
She is now heading into the Nevada caucuses with the third most delegates in the field, behind Mr Sanders and Pete Buttigieg.
Mr Sanders has the second most pledged delegates at 21 even though he has won the popular vote in both states that have voted so far. Mr Buttigieg leads the field with 22 pledged delegates.
Ms Warren has earned eight pledged delegates so far, while Amy Klobuchar has seven and Joe Biden has six. No other candidate has earned a delegate in the race.
Candidates need 1,991 delegates to win the nomination.
