Democratic New York Rep. Nydia Velazquez told pro-Trump teen pundit CJ Pearson that “you’re right to be afraid of us” Tuesday after he referred to her as “the woman next to” Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a tweet about the State of the Union address.
“Hi CJ Pearson, I’m not ‘the woman sitting next to her,'” Velazquez wrote on Twitter Tuesday night. “[Ocasio-Cortez] and I — and millions like us — are the future of this country. And you’re right to be afraid of us. But you should learn my name.”
Hi @TheCJPearson, I’m not “the woman sitting next to her”. @AOC and I — and millions like us — are the future of this country. And you’re right to be afraid of us.
But you should learn my name. https://t.co/frL8ikNDcV
— Nydia M Velázquez (@ReElectNydia) February 6, 2019
Pearson, 16, had joked on Twitter that “[Ocasio-Cortez] has been talking this entire speech and the woman next to her keeps trying to look the other way” during the State of the Union address Tuesday night.
.@AOC has been talking this entire speech and the woman next to her keeps trying to look the other way ????????.
— CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) February 6, 2019
Pearson responded to Velazquez’s remarks Wednesday. (RELATED: Fact Check: 5 Claims From Trump’s State Of The Union Address)
“I’m sorry, Congresswoman, but as [President] Donald Trump said — socialism will NOT be the future of this country. And Nydia, nothing about you nor [Ocasio-Cortez] scares me. It’s your policies — that jeopardize the stability of our nation and the future of my generation — that scare me,” he wrote on Twitter.
I’m sorry, Congresswoman, but as @realDonaldTrump said – socialism will NOT be the future of this country.
And Nydia, nothing about you nor @AOC scares me. It’s your policies- that jeopardize the stability of our nation and the future of my generation- that scare me. https://t.co/UjHHwSaCpv
— CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) February 6, 2019
Others weighed in on the interaction between the congresswoman and the high schooler.
(L to R) Rep. Nydia Velazquez and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez watch President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol Building on February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“This is a sitting Democratic member of Congress, [Nydia Velazquez], threatening a kid, [CJ Pearson], and telling him that Americans should fear members of Congress. This after [Rep. Eric] Swalwell threatened to nuke gun owners, and other Dems threaten to jail for exercising freedom of speech,” Newsmax host John Cardillo wrote on Twitter Wednesday.
This is a sitting Democratic member of Congress, @ReElectNydia, threatening a kid, @thecjpearson, and telling him that Americans should fear members of Congress.
This after Swalwell threatened to nuke gun owners, and other Dems threaten to jail for exercising freedom of speech. https://t.co/hh3qlLynzg
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) February 6, 2019
“Why is a congresswoman telling a high school student to be afraid? Are threats from politicians to minors cool, Twitter? Or just code related stuff is bad?” talk show host Dave Rubin wrote on Twitter Wednesday.
Why is a congresswoman telling a high school student to be afraid? Are threats from politicians to minors cool, Twitter? Or just code related stuff is bad? https://t.co/jqcMfWqyrl
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) February 6, 2019
Velazquez, 65, made news when she said “a room of men have no business undermining a woman’s unconditional right to choose” but added “that room of men is not referring to our governor” during a press conference with Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in July.
The Daily Caller News Foundation reached out to Velazquez’s office for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
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