Ocasio-Cortez Wonders If Daily Caller Is Engaging In Harassment Following Fake Nude Selfie Article
Recently, conservatives media figures have insisted that claims that they are obsessed with freshman Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are nothing more than “fake news” and the left’s attempts to bolster sympathy for the rising progressive star. At the same time, right-wing sites like Gateway Pundit, Daily Wire and The Daily Caller have continued to flood the zone with negative hit pieces on the 29-year-old democratic socialist, blowing up those assertions.
Wednesday brought a perfect example of the lows that the Conservative Entertainment Complex will engage in order to mine MAGA boomer clicks on AOC. The DC published a story by gossip columnist Betsy Rothstein that reported on an already-debunked photo that had circulated in conservative circles and purported to be a nude selfie of Ocasio-Cortez. The original headline of the piece? ‘HERE’S THE PHOTO SOME PEOPLE DESCRIBED AS A NUDE SELFIE OF ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ’
While Rothstein’s piece noted that the photo was a fake and was actually of former Anthony Weiner mistress Sidney Leathers, it was obvious the way the site promoted and packaged the post was to suggest they were publishing an actual nude pic of AOC. As one would imagine, the Daily Caller took a shitload of heat over the article, causing them to delete their tweet of the post and change the headline.
AOC wasn’t buying it, however.
Following backlash over the piece, the Democratic lawmaker weighed in on Twitter, noting that the “GOP have been losing their mind + frothing at the mouth all week, so this was just a matter of time” and taking the Daily Caller to task for re-posting the nude photo without indicating in the headline that it was fake.
GOP have been losing their mind + frothing at the mouth all week, so this was just a matter of time.
There is also a Daily Mail reporter (Ruth Styles) going to my boyfriend’s relative’s homes+offering them cash for “stories.”
Women in leadership face more scrutiny. Period. https://t.co/KuHJ75sdMg
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 10, 2019
For those out of the loop, Republicans began to circulate a fake nude photo of me. The @DailyCaller reposted it (!) and refused to indicate it was fake in the title as well.
Completely disgusting behavior from Conservative outlets.
No wonder they defended Kavanaugh so fiercely.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 10, 2019
The site responded by tweeting that the editors had “rapidly” deleted their tweet and that their “intent was to inform our audience that a fake image was circulating online.”
As soon as editors noticed the twitter headline, we rapidly had it deleted and fixed. The story itself is otherwise no different than what HuffPo and Vice published.
We regret the error, as the intent was to inform our audience that a fake image was circulating online. https://t.co/aClyRLnjQZ
— The Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 10, 2019
Ocasio-Cortez fired back, telling them that it was not an apology and that the site has been “posting hysteric, misrepresentative articles about me nonstop,” stating that many of those posts have been within the past day. She then tied embattled Fox News host Tucker Carlson — who is currently dealing with an advertiser boycott due to offensive remarks about immigrants — to the site, saying it has a “well-documented relationship with white supremacy.” (Carlson is the co-founder of the conservative news site.)
a) this is not an apology
b) you’ve been posting hysteric, misrepresentative articles about me nonstop – many within 24h.The @DailyCaller, funded by @TuckerCarlson (at @FoxNews), has a well-documented relationship with white supremacy.
Unsurprising they’re targeting me. https://t.co/LcQuQYWdqk
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 10, 2019
She added: The “real question is, at what point is their nonstop, targeted behavior considered harassment?”
The real question is, at what point is their nonstop, targeted behavior considered harassment?https://t.co/qpjrLpGRLv
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 10, 2019
AOC ended her Twitter response by linking to a Vox piece on Carlson regarding white supremacists’ love for Carlson, stating that Tucker finances the DC.
Let’s learn about this, shall we?
Many have recognized that @FoxNews has crossed a line beyond conservatism and into outright bigotry with their financing of Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham. Tucker finances the @DailyCaller, which posted fake nudes of me.
Here’s a breakdown⬇️ https://t.co/nnajlpIcML
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 10, 2019
Meanwhile, the Daily Caller has added the following correction to Rothstein’s article:
“An earlier version of the headline for this story made an inaccurate implication. The story has since been updated for accuracy.”
Editor-in-chief Geoffrey Ingersoll told TheWrap that as soon as he noticed it, he had “had it corrected and updated.” He further said the story was a defense of AOC but admitted that it was a “bad call on the headline side.”
