- Rep. Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez said comments about her byTucker Carlson were "libelous." - The Fox News host devoted a section of his show last week to insulting her.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described personalized attacks on her by Fox News host Tucker Carlson as "targetted, libelous harassment," deepening the feud between the two.
Carlson devoted a segment of his show Friday to mocking and insulting Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive Democrat from New York and a frequent subject of his on-air tirades
He $4 and remarked that an old Instagram video she posted sounded like "an invitation to a booty call."
In a series of tweets, Ocasio-Cortez said the host's comments were fuelling violent threats against her.
—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) $4
"I genuinely want to know why Tucker Carlson is allowed/paid to engage in clear, targeted, libelous harassment that endangers people &drives so many violent threats that ppl have to fundraise for their own safety. Why should they have to pay for his harassment? Make it make sense," she said.
"It's not within the realm of political commentary, & it's not just me. He regularly targets people that do not have access to resources for protection. Once he gets to fantasizing about 'booty calls' of women on national TV I cease to see the political value outside of incitement."
She had earlier posted a tweet linking to a video of his "booty call" comments, and described him as a "creep."
Fox News did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Ocasio-Cortez is one of America's most prominent progressive voices and has a gained a large social media-following.
She has also become a $4 and has spoken of the trauma of the online attacks against her. Carlson's attention to her intensified last week after she began campaigning for Democratic candidates in Texas.
Ocasio-Cortez's comments echo $4 attacks on her were approaching "actual malice," the threshold where she could sue for defamation.