Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced hostile hecklers at a Queens town hall Thursday while trying to tout the benefits of the Green New Deal, Fox News reported.
Cortez, who was advocating for the Green New Deal’s environmental justice provisions and climate change policies, was interrupted by two hecklers who accused the congresswoman of pandering to illegal immigrants while ignoring her constituents, according to the outlet.
One of the hecklers claimed he was challenging Ocasio-Cortez for her seat in Washington, D.C., the outlet reported. (RELATED: ‘You Were A Bartender’: Twitter Users Dunk On AOC After She Suggests Rep Lacks Experience For Speaker Bid)
‘BOO’ YORK CITY: “All you care about is illegal aliens and their votes!” Hecklers rail against AOC at a town hall, with one challenging the Democratic lawmaker to a debate. https://t.co/o02NVskP7w pic.twitter.com/dULDV4dCrJ
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“My name is Jonathan David Rinaldi and I’m running for Congress against AOC. The Green New Deal is a scam,” Rinaldi shouted, adding, “They’re giving the NYCHA apartments away, they’re giving illegal aliens $10,000 a day … I want you to debate me, AOC, debate me!”
Rinaldi claimed that lawmakers are manipulating the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the agency which manages the city’s public housing projects, by using taxpayer money to move illegal immigrants into those developments, FOX News reported.
Another heckler was recorded standing up, waving his finger at Ocasio-Cortez and demanded, “Secure the border now … You don’t care, all you care about is illegal aliens and their votes. You don’t care about your constituents … You’re a disgrace.”
The man also referenced to a violent attack Jan. 27 against New York Police allegedly carried out by migrants, according to the outlet.
“You haven’t said one word about violent Venezuelan migrants, illegals,” he said.
Supporters of Ocasio-Cortez in attendance then began clapping and chanting, “AOC! AOC!” Fox News reported.
After the hecklers were removed from the town hall, Ocasio-Cortez told the group, “We have seen the voices that are anti-immigrant in this country are very very loud, but they are very, very few. And we have to look around and realize how many of us are here in support of our neighbors and an acknowledgment of the fact that virtually all of us are descendants of immigrants, or indigenous people or enslaved people.”
The audience cheered on Ocasio-Cortez’s comments, with one woman yelling, “Thank you!”