Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic Representative of New York, criticized former Trump adviser Steve Cortes for harping on her boyfriend's "gross pale male feet" after he posted a photo of Ocasio-Cortez and her boyfriend, Riley Roberts, on vacation in Florida, where there is no COVID-19 mask mandate.
Cortes said if "Leftists like AOC actually thought mandates and masking worked," they wouldn't be visiting "free Florida" before, bizzarely, ripping Roberts for "showing his gross pale male feet in public... with hideous sandals."
1. If Leftists like AOC actually thought mandates and masking worked, they wouldn\u2019t be frolicking in free FL.\n\n2. Her guy is showing his gross pale male feet in public (not at a pool/beach) with hideous sandals.\n\nO for 2\u2026pic.twitter.com/SNqBqMwr12— Steve Cortes (@Steve Cortes) 1640958486
Ocasio-Cortez later responded, accusing Cortes and Republicans of "projecting their sexual frustrations onto my boyfriend’s feet."
She went on to say Republican men have consistently vented their "very obvious, strange, and deranged sexual frustrations" onto her, other women and members of the LGBTQ+ community," adding:
"These people clearly need therapy, won’t do it, and use politics as their outlet instead. It’s really weird."
Others agreed and joined Ocasio-Cortez in her critisisms of Cortes and Republicans at large.
One of the biggest taboos of living under sexism is that women are not supposed to point out that men\u2019s weird, obsessive antagonism is a misogynist expression of sexual desire. Honestly I\u2019m pretty impressed that she just said it.https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1477000469318885385\u00a0\u2026— Moira Donegan (@Moira Donegan) 1641089047
god she wins every single time. it\u2019s not even sporting.https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1477000469318885385\u00a0\u2026— kilgore trout, cryptopolice chief (@kilgore trout, cryptopolice chief) 1640993588
"@AOC says you're undateable" - Fox News headline, probably.https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1477000469318885385\u00a0\u2026— Beau of The Fifth Column (@Beau of The Fifth Column) 1640994069
The right is losing their mind in response to this tweet because they can't take the truth.https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1477000469318885385\u00a0\u2026— John Iadarola (@John Iadarola) 1640999893
I imagine there are quite a few who privately respect and admire, but haven\u2019t the guts to admit it, so they resort to negativity. Then there are the self-loathing, unhappy in life, so they take it out on others. Stand fast AOC, and remain true!— Brian Paul Bach (@Brian Paul Bach) 1641074154
You are beautiful, smart and strong. They are simultaneously turned on and disgusted by you.— Rico&Bella (@Rico&Bella) 1641104467
Proud of you for finally saying it! This is the truth and a huge problem in our society as a whole. Keep going. You're paving the way for new generations.— Amare Mori (she/her) (@Amare Mori (she/her)) 1641089648
I mean she\u2019s fucking rights. she gets it. It\u2019s an insanely bizarre psychosexual fixation on her from the right, like rapey. They want to dominate herhttps://twitter.com/aoc/status/1477003212234371072\u00a0\u2026— Rose Nylund stan account \ud83c\udf0b\ud83d\udd7a\ud83c\udffb (@Rose Nylund stan account \ud83c\udf0b\ud83d\udd7a\ud83c\udffb) 1641040989
I think a lot of guys on here think that the reason that women from elected officials to \u201ctrad\u201d e-girls first (often only) response to dissent is \u201cyou\u2019re an incel\u201d is because they\u2019re licentious or something but it more has to do with sex being their only true avenue to powerhttps://twitter.com/aoc/status/1477003212234371072\u00a0\u2026— RR 3.0 + 1.0 (@RR 3.0 + 1.0) 1641081740
Ocasio-Cortez has previously spoken about the sexism she has faced as a member of Congress.
She made national headlines in July 2020 after she took to the House floor to enter into the Congressional record a sexist vulgarity said to her by Florida Republican Representative Ted Yoho.
At the time, she said:
"In front of reporters, Representative Yoho called me, and I quote: 'A f'king bitch.'"
She went on to add incidents like the one she described "happen every day," and included a thinly-veiled criticism of former President Donald Trump, who was still in office at the time.
"It happens every day in this country. It happened here on the steps of our nation's Capitol."
"It happens when individuals who hold the highest office in this land admit to hurting women and using this language against all of us."
Representative Yoho denied saying the slur.
