Elon Musk jokes that AOC's Twitter troubles were 'a naked abuse of power'

• Elon Musk joked that when AOC's Twitter account stopped working it was "a naked abuse of power."
• The lawmaker said her account stopped working after a spat with Musk, who now owns Twitter.

Elon Musk joked that when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Twitter account stopped working on Wednesday it was due to "a naked abuse of power" by the platform's new owner.

Newsmax presenter Benny Johnson shared a video on Twitter of the lawmaker's Instagram story, in which she explained the moment she realized her Twitter mentions were "gone," and that it was "literally like a blank screen."

"So it turns out, we got under a certain little billionaire's skin," Ocasio-Cortez commented.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

Musk was quick to react to Johnson's post, quipping: "What can I say? It was a naked abuse of power."

—Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2022

Their latest spat began after Ocasio-Cortez criticized Musk's plan to charge Twitter users $8 for blue ticks.

She tweeted on Wednesday night: "Lmao at a billionaire earnestly trying to sell people on the idea that "free speech" is actually a $8/mo subscription plan."

Musk replied to the tweet, saying: "Your feedback is appreciated, now pay $8."

Other public figures including the author Stephen King have also criticized his plan. Some are concerned that the move risks allowing fake accounts to pose as public figures and spread misinformation.

Since Musk took over Twitter, some celebrities have decided to leave and more than a million users have reportedly done the same.

It's not the first time Musk and Ocasio-Cortez have locked horns on Twitter and have previously clashed on topics such as unionization, misinformation, and free speech.

Twitter, Musk, and representatives for Ocasio-Cortez didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.