Ocasio-Cortez slammed for banning press from public event

New York Democratic House candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is facing blowback on social media after she banned reporters from a public town hall event earlier this week.

The event, which took place Sunday in the Queens borough of New York City, was open to the public but not the media.

{mosads}Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesman, Corbin Trent, told the Queens Chronicle that the banning was “an outlier” and the campaign is “still adjusting our logistics to fit Alexandria’s national profile.”

A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign declined to comment further to The Hill, but Ocasio-Cortez tweeted later on Friday that her campaign’s decision to bar press from the event was a “non-story.”

“Additionally, with this town hall non-story: it was designed to protect + invite vulnerable populations to PUBLIC discourse: immigrants, victims of domestic abuse, and so on,” she tweeted. “We indicated previously that the event would be closed to press. Future ones are open.”

Additionally, with this town hall non-story: it was designed to protect + invite vulnerable populations to PUBLIC discourse: immigrants, victims of domestic abuse, and so on.

We indicated previously that the event would be closed to press. Future ones are open.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) August 17, 2018

The news was first reported in the Chronicle on Thursday, a small newspaper adjacent to the district Ocasio-Cortez seeks to win this fall. After the story went viral on Friday, critics were quick to condemn the rising political star’s actions as she embarks on her “listening tour” throughout the 14th District.

It’s only 12pm, but there have already been more hits on the @QueensChronicle’s website today than any other day in 2018.

Here’s the story that’s catching fire, in case you missed it:https://t.co/ERGaRMaPyT #NY14 https://t.co/talhJ3RILL

— Chris Barca (@CBarcaQC) August 17, 2018

The socialist bans the media!!!

“The press blackout came after several of @Ocasio2018‘s public comments were scrutinized by the media and fact-checkers alike.”https://t.co/8FxMiWhoe4

— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) August 17, 2018

Banning the press is not a good thing, @Ocasio2018! https://t.co/0g1dfFtyHw

— Serge Kovaleski (@sergenyt) August 17, 2018

Sure sounds like Ocasio campaign is saying press is there to make people uncomfortable, like an enemy or something https://t.co/Wv15nGuR6W

— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 17, 2018

Ocasio-Cortez bans press from town hall….

But but but #FreePress!
This is an attack on all journalists and the first amendment!!!

Nothing? The media is basically silent on this one? Why is that?https://t.co/UfbYnXmjH8

— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) August 17, 2018

.@Ocasio2018 is in for a rough time on Capitol Hill — where reporters roam freely at all hours of the day and night — if this is her attitude toward the press https://t.co/3RyBHVQEdq

— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) August 17, 2018

The same week liberals published coordinated editorials in 350+ newspapers decrying Trump’s so-called “assault on the free press…”

Democratic darling @Ocasio2018 banned press from her townhalls. LOL

— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) August 17, 2018

All parts of the first amendment are important, @Ocasio2018.

All parts. https://t.co/8GnzAo02eB

— Derek Wallbank (@dwallbank) August 17, 2018

Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez banned the media from attending a town hall this week and there’s very little said about it. Yet if Trump did that, people would lose their minds. Double standard much?

— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) August 17, 2018

Ocasio-Cortez, 28, a former volunteer for Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) 2016 presidential campaign, shocked the political establishment by upsetting 10-term congressman Joseph Crowley in June’s Democratic primary.

— Updated 5:19 p.m.