AOC Slammed for Demanding Progressives ‘Pull Up to the South’
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced backlash from Southern residents after urging northern progressives to mobilize to Southern states during a Montgomery rally on May 16.
Speaking from behind bulletproof glass at an event titled “All Roads Lead to the South,” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed the United States did not become a true democracy until the 1960s with the passage of the Voting Rights Act, according to Breitbart News. The New York Democrat also targeted U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, accusing him of contributing to what she described as a history of regression and oppression.
It is time for the north to pull up to the south, Ocasio-Cortez declared, urging activists from New York to mobilize to Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi. She framed Republican-led redistricting efforts as an injustice and warned that lawmakers do not know the sleeping giant that they just awakened.
Southern voices push back
Social media users, particularly those from the South, delivered sharp responses to the congresswoman’s inflammatory rhetoric. One woman criticized Ocasio-Cortez for making what she called “yet another bone-headed statement,” warning that encouraging progressives to “pull up” on Southern states was ill-advised.
You sweet-faced loon. That is not a good idea, she said, explaining why such a call could backfire.
Another commenter pointed out that the phrase “pull up” carries threatening connotations in everyday American vernacular. He added that us real New Yorkers, we don’t claim her, distancing himself from Ocasio-Cortez’s provocative language.
Democrats accused of hypocrisy on redistricting
A third social media user mocked the idea of sending “a bunch of people with piercings and blue hair to invade the South,” questioning what role they would play beyond low-skilled jobs. He criticized Democrats for complaining about redistricting—a practice the party has used for years—now that Republicans are legally engaging in the same process.
He accused Democrats of doing nothing for their constituents while fearmongering about voter suppression. Maybe, just maybe, Republicans can do a much better job, he concluded.
White House pushes voter ID legislation
The controversy comes as the White House has urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would mandate voter identification in elections, require proof of citizenship for voter registration, and eliminate universal mail-in voting, Breitbart News reports.
The legislation represents a direct counter to Democratic efforts to expand access to mail-in ballots and minimize voter verification requirements—policies Republicans argue undermine election integrity.
With information from Breitbart News
