AOC Hits Back After Critics Question Her Account of Capitol Riots

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is striking back at critics of her comments about the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, who pointed out that her office, where she hid, is not part of the main Capitol building where most of the violent actions took place. 

"They are manipulating the fact that most people don't know the layout of the Capitol complex," the New York Democrat said in a tweet Wednesday, reports Fox News. "We were all on the Capitol complex — the attack wasn't just on the dome."

In another tweet, she added that "People were trying to rush and infiltrate our office buildings —  that's why we had to get evacuated in the first place. The attempts of attackers & publicly available communications show how they tried to gain access and share location info on finding members for physical harm."

Ocasio-Cortez's comments came after Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., blasted media coverage of comments she had made in an emotional Instagram post earlier this week. Mace also tweeted that the insurrectionists never stormed the hallway that her office shares with that of the New York congresswoman.

Both offices are in the Cannon House Office Building, which is connected to the Capitol through underground tunnels, or down a walkway and across a street from the main building. Law enforcement did find pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails in the vicinity, and the building is one where staff members were told to evacuate. 

In her Instagram video, Ocasio-Cortez said she didn't know if she was "going to make it to the end of that day alive." She has also come under fire from Republicans who are demanding she apologize for accusing Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, of almost having her "murdered" through his rhetoric about the election. 

On Wednesday, she further defended her decision to speak out about the trauma she experienced. 

"To survivors of any trauma who worry about being believed, or that their situation wasn't 'bad' enough or 'too' bad, or fear being branded or deemed 'manipulative' for telling the truth: I see you," she tweeted.

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