Ted Yoho denies insulting Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez but apologizes if his words were 'construed' as offensive

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
(Image credit: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) on Wednesday addressed his Tuesday confrontation with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) — after which he was reportedly overheard calling her a "f---ing bitch" — offering a half-apology, half-denial.

Yoho said he never insulted Ocasio-Cortez in such a manner, but apologized for the "misunderstanding" if his words "were construed that way."

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.