Facebook Post Claimed AOC Received $142K in Student Loan Forgiveness. Here's the Truth
Claim:
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez received $142,000 in student loan forgiveness in June 2024 and said she deserved it for serving her country.
Rating:
On June 23, 2024, a Facebook page called America - Love It Or Leave It published a post claiming U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – also known as AOC – received $142,000 in student loan forgiveness and said she deserved it for serving her country.
America - Love It Or Leave It's (ALIOLI) caption read: "She doesn't serve her country. She makes a fool of herself on behalf of the lefties in Brooklyn. This is who gets the free cash?"
(Facebook account America - Love It Or Leave It)
Similar claims appeared elsewhere on Facebook and on X.
Facebook users replying to the ALIOLI post appeared to believe the claim was true, with one writing: "Put her in jail for stealing money from social Security fund and everyone concerned."
Another commented: "I'm not surprised. She hasn't done anything to serve our country. She should be forced to resign and pay all that money back. She hates this country so why should she get any money at all!"
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122116272812330363&set=a.122102619014330363
However, this item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. ALIOLI, the Facebook account that posted the claim, described its output as being "satirical" in nature, as follows:
A subsidiary of the America's Last Line of Defense network of trollery. Nothing on this page is real.
It also labeled its Facebook page as "Satire/parody," and it said the account was run by an individual branded "Busta Troll."
America's Last Line of Defense, which was mentioned by the account, likewise described its content as satirical.
ALIOLI even commented on the AOC post, saying:
This should do well. Our source on this one doesn't necessarily have any credibility, nor do they seem to exist in nature. That doesn't mean it isn't real in the Christian world, however, so we'll just keep on praying this is true. God Bless America.
Snopes found no evidence AOC received $142,000 in student loan forgiveness in June 2024, and likewise no news outlets reported such news.
Ocasio-Cortez's 2023 Financial Disclosure Report — covering the year 2022 — showed no proof of her receiving student loan forgiveness.
On Oct. 10, 2022, the Democrat politician replied to a claim saying her net worth was $29 million by telling her X followers: "Lol I wish, i literally still have student loans."
Four days later, she wrote on X she still owed roughly $18,000 in student loans.
Another interaction from last night:
“AOC, How did you become worth $29 million dollars??”
“Sir, I wish. My financial disclosures are public. I still owe ~$18k in student loans.”
“I saw it on GOOGLE”
“Not everything on the internet is true”
Then he stormed out?? 🤷🏽♀️— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 14, 2022
We addressed another satirical post by ALIOLI on June 14, 2024, when the page jokingly claimed former U.S. soccer player Megan Rapinoe was disqualified from the Soccer Hall of Fame.
Snopes also debunked a fake video containing AOC on June 11, 2024, where it was falsely claimed she said in a viral video the word "ceasefire" means someone "sees a fire."
For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.
Sources:
Aoc $142k Student Loan Forgiveness - Google Search. https://www.google.com/search?q=aoc+%24142k+student+loan+forgiveness&sca_esv=b492b5af9f856ada&ei=Xk99ZoP8IvO1hbIP1dKJMA&ved=0ahUKEwiDo9Oi2fuGAxXzWkEAHVVpAgYQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=aoc+%24142k+student+loan+forgiveness&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiImFvYyAkMTQyayBzdHVkZW50IGxvYW4gZm9yZ2l2ZW5lc3MyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigAUi6AlAAWIQBcAB4AJABAJgBmwGgAfMBqgEDMS4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIBoAJxmAMAkgcDMC4xoAf_Bw&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#ip=1. Accessed 27 June 2024.
Hardinges, Nick. 'AOC Really Said "Cease-Fire Means Someone Sees a Fire" in Viral Video?' Snopes, 11 June 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-ceasefire/.
---. 'Megan Rapinoe Disqualified from Soccer Hall of Fame?' Snopes, 14 June 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/megan-rapinoe-soccer-hall-fame/.
Hon. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 2023 Financial Disclosure Report. Clerk of the House of Representatives, 13 August 2023, https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial-pdfs/2022/10052480.pdf
Log in or Sign up to View. https://www.facebook.com/login/. Accessed 27 June 2024.
---. https://www.facebook.com/login/. Accessed 27 June 2024.
'X.Com'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/AOC/status/1579488361269833728. Accessed 27 June 2024.
'---'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/AOC/status/1580776034143588352. Accessed 27 June 2024.
