Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez takes on Lindsey Graham over 'joke about DNA preferences'

The Democratic newcomer is becoming one of Washington DC's most outspoken officials

Chris Riotta
New York
Tuesday 27 November 2018 19:44 GMT
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Senator Lindsey Graham says it would be terrible to be Iranian on Fox News

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may be the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, but that hasn't stopped her from sparring with Washington’s senior establishment.

The 29-year-old congresswoman-elect has taken on Republican Senator Lindsey Graham over controversial comments he made earlier this year, in which he said on Fox News that it would be “like, terrible” if he a DNA test were to indicate he was of Iranian descent.

“I heard your ‘joke’ about ethnic DNA preferences last month,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter in response to Mr Graham, who criticised her earlier in the day for bringing up the Holocaust while discussing the plight of migrants along the US-Mexico border. “Perhaps you would enjoy a visit (or revisit) to the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History and Culture.”

She added, “It’s a great educational experience.”

The two outspoken politicians began exchanging tweets earlier in the day, when Mr Graham wrote a recommendation for Ms Ocasio-Cortez to “take a tour of the Holocaust Museum in DC”.

The apparent dig was made shortly after the Democratic newcomer wrote that “asking to be considered a refugee & applying for status isn’t a crime,” adding, “It wasn’t for Jewish families fleeing Germany.”

Before bringing up his previous remarks about Iranian DNA, Ms Ocasio-Cortez wrote back to him that “the point of such a treasured museum is to bring its lessons to present day.”

“This administration has jailed children and violated human rights,” she added. “Perhaps we should stop pretending that authoritarianism + violence is a historical event instead of a growing force.”

Ms Ocasio-Cortez has become one of the most widely-discussed congressional freshmen after unseating 10-term Democratic incumbent Joe Crowley in the 2018 midterm elections, using her social media platforms to document life for elected officials in Washington as well as hit back at her opponents in real-time.

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The New York progressive has previously exchanged blows with Fox News and conservative journalists who have focused on her clothing and finances.

She’s also taken on the establishment within her own party, pushing Nancy Pelosi — slated to become the next House speaker — to adopt a progressive stance on issues like climate change while attending a sit-in at the California Democrat’s offices with environmental activists.

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