US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she and other elected officials “narrowly escaped death” last week when a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed into the US Capitol, and she was concerned her own “white supremacist” colleagues in Congress would put her at further risk.
Key points:
- Ms Ocasio-Cortez says she was personally involved in a “traumatising event” during the siege
- She feared for her life but could not disclose what specifically happened due to “security concerns”
- She said “many, many members of the House were nearly assassinated” during the siege
Addressing followers on an Instagram Live video, the Democratic politician said she personally had an encounter, the details of which she said she couldn’t disclose due to security concerns, “where I thought I was going to die.”
“I had a pretty traumatising event happen to me, and I do not know if I can even disclose the full details of that event due to security concerns, but I can tell you that I had a very close encounter where I thought I was going to die,” she said.
She said there was “a sense that something was wrong from the inside” and that she remained fearful even after she was taken to a secure location with other elected officials.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez, who is Hispanic, noted that her fears were heightened because there were white supremacists and other extremists taking part in the mostly white mob.
The second-term representative is among the most high-profile elected officials on the political left and a lightning rod for the right and extreme right.
“I myself did not even feel safe going to be that extraction point, because there were QAnon and white supremacists, sympathisers and frankly, white supremacist members of Congress in that extraction point, who I know and who I had felt would disclose my location and allow me to … who would create opportunities to allow me to be hurt, kidnapped, etc…” she said.
The US Justice Department says it has brought at least 70 cases in connection with the riot at the Capitol, in which five people died as supporters of Mr Trump stormed the building, scaled walls and ransacked offices.
“It’s just not an exaggeration to say that at all.
“We were very lucky that things happened within certain minutes that allowed members to escape the House floor unharmed. But many of us nearly, narrowly escaped death.”
She strongly condemned Mr Trump for inciting the riots, as well as members of his administration who have not invoked the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.
“This is known as an act of insurrection, an act of sedition. And frankly, he is a traitor to our country, a traitor to the United States. And I don’t really think that there’s any other way you can put it,” she said.
AP
