AOC accuses Lauren Boebert of making fun of sick grandmother in dispute over government benefits

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused fellow lawmaker Lauren Boebert of making fun of her ailing grandmother on Twitter on Sunday, following a dispute between women in Congress over government benefit programs.

The row began on Saturday night when Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive Democrat from New York, shared a video of Boebert, a Republican from Colorado, speaking that day at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas.

In the video, Boebert criticizes government benefit programs, saying, “We’re here to tell the government, we don’t want your benefits, we don’t want your welfare. Don’t come knock on my door with it. your ‘Fauci ouchie,’ – you leave us alone. “

In response, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted sarcastically, “Tell them loud and clear, proud girl! The GOP is going to remove your unemployment protections and dismantle any semblance of a public safety net we have left! Wall St gets a meal ticket!” Good old custodian of values ​​baby! “

Tell them loud and proud girl! The GOP will remove your unemployment protections and dismantle any semblance of a public safety net we have left! Then get workers to pay a lot more for everything with low wages while Wall St gets a meal ticket!

Good old custodian values ​​baby! 🤑 https://t.co/inym5QkuBC

– Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 11, 2021

Following this tweet, Boebert hit back at Ocasio-Cortez by stating that “no one removes the safety nets”. The Colorado Republican then sarcastically asked Ocasio-Cortez how “government dependency” worked for his “abuela”, which means grandmother in Spanish.

The comment appeared to refer to an earlier tweet from Ocasio-Cortez this month, in which she shared that her grandmother in Puerto Rico had yet to receive government assistance for her home after the destruction of the house. Hurricane Maria in 2017.

In this tweet, the New York Democrat said her grandmother fell ill and blamed the lack of financial support for hurricane relief on former President Donald Trump. At the time, the tweet sparked a backlash from conservatives, including Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who accused Ocasio-Cortez of not taking care of her grandmother herself.

On Sunday, Boebert appeared to be fueling this fire by tweeting to Ocasio-Cortez: “Growing up in a Democratic household, I stood in line for government bread and cheese. I want more for your grandmother, just like I did. did it for me. Don’t limit the American dream. “

Ocasio-Cortez then quickly hit back at Boebert, accusing the Republican lawmaker of “making fun” of his ailing family member.

“Thank you for proving to the world that today’s version of ‘conservative role model’ is someone making fun of sick grandparents of other people on the Internet. I can promise you that I will treat your family. better than mine. And I will fight for your constituents too, “she wrote.

Thank you for proving to the world that today’s version of the “conservative role model” is about a person making fun of other people’s sick grandparents on the Internet.

I can promise you that I will treat your family better than mine. And I will fight more for your constituents too. https://t.co/Mm9IXQTTnq

– Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 11, 2021

Boebert and Ocasio-Cortez have often fought over political issues on Twitter.

Boebert, a staunch Trump supporter now in her first term, said in 2020 she was “absolutely on the run” to “defend herself from conservative values ​​and take on AOC,” according to the New York Post.

The two lawmakers also argued over the Jan.6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

While Boebert accused Ocasio-Cortez of dramatizing the events of the deadly attack, the New York Democrat said the Republican lawmaker played down the riot. Ocasio-Cortez also suggested that several Republicans contributed to the violence that day by pushing the false narrative that the 2020 election was stolen due to voter fraud.

Boebert was one of many Trump supporters speaking to CPAC on Saturday. In addition to criticizing government benefit programs, the Republican lawmaker accused the Biden administration of operating under “tyrannical rule” via coronavirus lockdowns and vaccination initiatives.