Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) faced a fiery exchange Thursday when The Gateway Pundit confronted her over her claims that the Trump administration and federal law enforcement were to blame for the violence erupting in Los Angeles and other sanctuary cities. The confrontation exposed the congresswoman’s increasingly radical rhetoric—and her unwillingness to answer direct questions about Democrat-linked assaults on law enforcement.
AOC has accused the Trump administration of intentionally inciting chaos in LA after President Trump federalized the National Guard and deployed Marines to quell city-wide riots. These riots—already underway before the Guard arrived—have included arson, attacks on officers, looting, and explosives hurled at federal buildings.
When pressed by reporter Jordan Conradson, AOC dodged questions about the timeline of events and instead pivoted to attacking Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She claimed the chaos was the result of ICE agents “breaking the law”—not the hundreds of rioters torching city blocks.
“This is not related to the national guard,” AOC snapped. “It’s about the Trump administration…”
According to AOC, ICE violated federal law by initially denying unscheduled access to several Democrat representatives attempting to enter ICE facilities during ongoing enforcement actions. She insisted that “members of Congress have open access” and that any denial of entry was “illegal.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that agents asked visiting lawmakers in New York and California to provide notice for tours—standard protocol to avoid disrupting sensitive operations. “They would be happy to give them a tour with a little more notice,” she said. That explanation was conveniently ignored in AOC’s outburst.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, where Rep. LaMonica McIver was granted access to an ICE facility, she was later charged by a grand jury for assaulting federal agents. AOC has publicly defended her colleagues while refusing to directly condemn their actions—even when physical violence is involved.
When asked bluntly whether McIver was justified in allegedly assaulting ICE officers, AOC ran. Literally.
Conradson pressed: “Was it ok for LaMonica McIver to attack ICE officers?”
AOC: [No answer.]
Instead, she launched into a tirade accusing ICE of barring entry and violating statutes—but never once addressed the actual assault or condemned the actions of her Democrat colleague.
