Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has responded to Tucker Carlson’s Fox News segment about her rape fears, calling the conservative commentator a “talking inferiority complex”.
Mr Carlson laughed about Ms Ocasio-Cortez’s concerns about sexual violence during the 6 January Capitol riots. The Fox News host showed a clip of the Democrat’s interview with CNN, in which she said: “I didn’t think that I was just going to be killed. I thought other things were going to happen to me as well,” when she was barricaded inside her office in the Capitol building.
Referring to her as “Sandy”, Mr Carlson said: “Does she ever stop talking about herself?” He also told her to “Get a therapist, honey”.
In a Twitter post by author Don Winslow, showing Mr Carlson’s segment, Ms Ocasio-Cortez replied that she “couldn’t care less about what this talking inferiority complex has to say," adding that she does "feel for the women and survivors in his life who now see they wouldn’t be believed or safe with him.”
“Many survivors of assault don’t tell family, friends, etc bc of how they see others treated,” she added.
In the same news segment, Mr Carlson criticised lawmakers for siding with the police officer who killed Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt. Right-wing commentators have made Ms Babbitt into a martyr, following the insurrection.
After a call to action by President Trump, thousands of his supporters gathered on 6 January at the US Capitol building, rioters then occupied and vandalised the meeting place of the United States Congress. Five people died as a result of the violence.
The Independent has contacted Fox News for further comment.
