‘You’re a war criminal!’ AOC town hall flies off the rails from the jump

Reaping what she’s sown, a Squad member’s latest town hall forced a reminder about “ground rules” after it kicked off with her getting labeled a “war criminal!”

Since the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel by Hamas, Democrats had either done little to tamp down on antisemitism or, in some cases, had outright supported terrorist sympathizing. Friday, failure to quell the kinds of hysterics that had escalated to massive disruptions on college campuses across the nation found New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) contending with an agitator at her own town hall.

Fresh off the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I), the congresswoman had barely begun addressing constituents at an event in Jackson Heights, Queens, when a woman who identified herself as a nurse left the lawmaker stammering.

“I am a healthcare worker and I want to know what you’re doing about the genocide in Gaza!” the disruptor shouted to boos from the audience as staff attempted to intercede before ultimately leading her away. “Shame on you! I used to support you. You’re a war criminal! War criminal! War criminal!”

Minutes in someone demands to know what she’s doing to end the “genocide in Gaza” and calls AOC a “war criminal.” pic.twitter.com/eEAzPYgPPq

— Elizabeth Kim (@lizkimtweets) May 2, 2025

Throughout the ranting, Ocasio-Cortez sounded like a broken record on stage, repeating the phrases “listen” and “alright ma’am” until the woman was escorted out.

It was then that the congresswoman told those gathered, “Alright. I mean, here’s the deal. With town halls, I more than welcome people who disagree, or are maybe even super pissed off at me for any issue to come, but we have some ground rules here which is that — please wait to the Q&A, because we don’t want to deprive all of our neighbors of the ability to have information and hear things and respond to it … We need to be able to have this conversation.”

‘SHAME ON YOU’: A furious protester started screaming at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shortly after her town hall began in New York, causing the “Squad” Dem to go over “some ground rules.” pic.twitter.com/pbFBaXE288

— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 3, 2025

While some have speculated that Ocasio-Cortez was lining herself up to challenge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for a 2026 primary, others have bandied about the possibility of higher aspirations with an eye toward 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 2028.

A pipe dream to some and a nightmare to others, such a prediction left the Boston University alumna contending with the same issues that haunted Democrats leading into the 2024 presidential election as a considerable number of radicals within their base favored the less than subtle messaging of “from the river to the sea.”

Ocasio-Cortez had herself landed on the side of Hamas flag-wavers, including calling out Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) over his ardent support of Israel when she’d said in response to his calling out Hamas’ use of human shields, “I dunno man. I care about little kids dying. I care about human rights. I care that billions of US tax dollars’ worth of weapons are carrying out unspeakable atrocities.”

“I care enough for us to do better,” she added. “Hope this bleak dunk attempt gets you whatever it is you’re going for.”

Still, some saw the congresswoman’s potential rise amid a power vacuum on the left following then-President Joe Biden’s ousting from the 2024 election and then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ second failed White House bid as a welcome sign, considering Democrats appeared to be eating their own.

AOC running for President would be a bigger gift to the GOP then Kamala Harris!

— E X X ➠A L E R T S (@ExxAlerts) May 3, 2025

The only people left on the left are the nut jobs

— Joey Salads (@JoeySalads) May 3, 2025

The Democrat Party is nothing short of a shtshow.

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 3, 2025

Gotta love the infighting within the Democrat Party.

I think they hate each other more than they hate Republicans.

— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) May 3, 2025

Left eating Left

— Rob Sullivan (@Niatross68) May 3, 2025

Nicee its hilarious the karma she is getting lol pic.twitter.com/vNgQgPGpZk

— Emcverse (@emcverse) May 3, 2025

Staff Writer

Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn’t researching current events and their impacts, you’ll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.

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