Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she had a 'close encounter' during the Capitol riot and 'thought I was going to die'

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is speaking out about her "traumatizing" experience at the Capitol building during last week's deadly pro-Trump riot, revealing a "very close encounter" made her fear for her life.

The New York lawmaker spoke on Instagram about what she described as a "traumatizing week for so many people" after a mob of President Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol building in a riot that left five people dead. She referenced a "close encounter" she had during the riot, one she said she couldn't provide further details on for security reasons.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.