Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez livestreamed herself drinking wine and assembling IKEA furniture. More than 8,000 people tuned in.
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) may be in Congress now, but her Wednesday nights still consist of some pretty normal stuff.
As BuzzFeed News' Vera Bergengruen pointed out on Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez spent her evening drinking wine, assembling IKEA furniture, and chatting about politics. The difference between the congresswoman and her constituents? More than 8,000 people tuned into an Instagram livestream to watch her do it.
Ocasio-Cortez's livestreams often attract attention, like when she discussed the fear of bringing children into a world affected by climate change. The Washington Post even wrote about her "2018 version of fireside chats," pointing out that her Instagram presence attracts new fans who find the videos relatable, as well as critics who take advantage of her laid back approach and latch onto any slipup they can find.
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While the lawmaker's every utterance in Congress is quickly praised and torn apart by fans and detractors, the fact that thousands of people are eager to tune in and watch her make soup or munch on popcorn — while answering policy questions, of course — is probably a level of stardom no other legislator currently enjoys. Watch AOC discuss everything from President Trump's taxes to the Green New Deal to fruit snacks via Instagram, or watch a clip at Newsweek.
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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
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