Politics

Ocasio-Cortez Strikes Back At McCaskill, Accuses Her Of ‘Covering For The GOP’

Reuters/Andrew Kelly

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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The war between ousted Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill and New York Democratic Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez heated up on Saturday as Ocasio-Cortez tweeted about her confusion over McCaskill’s recent comments.

Responding to a CNN interview McCaskill gave last week, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, “Not sure why fmr Sen. McCaskill keeps going on TV to call me a ‘thing’ and ‘shiny object,’ but it’s pretty disappointing.”

McCaskill’s actual comments were slightly less offensive in context — the exiting Senator wished Ocasio-Cortez well while warning her, however clumsily, that talk is cheap. (RELATED: Claire McCaskill To Ocasio-Cortez: Don’t Anger Working Class White People)

“I don’t know her,” McCaskill said when asked if she’d consider Ocasio-Cortez a “crazy Democrat” like the ones she decried on the campaign trail. “I’m a little confused why she’s the thing. But it’s a good example of what I’m talking about, a bright shiny new object, came out of nowhere and surprised people when she beat a very experienced congressman.”

McCaskill added, “And so she’s now talked about a lot. I’m not sure what she’s done yet to generate that kind of enthusiasm, but I wish her well. I hope she hangs the moon.”

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee ranking member Claire McCaskill (D-MO) questions Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on "Authorities and Resources Needed to Protect and Secure the United States," on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., May 15, 2018. REUTERS/Erin Schaff

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee ranking member Claire McCaskill (D-MO) questions Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on “Authorities and Resources Needed to Protect and Secure the United States,” on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., May 15, 2018. REUTERS/Erin Schaff

Ocasio-Cortez also accused McCaskill of “covering for the GOP” when she said, in that same CNN interview, that Senate Republicans secretly confided their belief that President Donald Trump is crazy — however, they feared backlash from their base if they stood up to him.
“I’m also not sure why McCaskill is covering for the GOP by saying they ‘secretly think Trump is nuts,'” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “Nobody cares. Trump is melting down our institutions and inciting division between people. At any time GOP could have checked him and choose not to. They’re accomplices.”

McCaskill, whose Twitter account has been quiet since she shared Christmas greetings on December 25, has not responded.

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