Ocasio-Cortez slams ‘disgusting’ right-wing site for publishing fake nude photo

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is firing back at what she called “completely disgusting behavior” from the right-wing outlet The Daily Caller for publishing a fake nude photo of her with a misleading headline.

“GOP have been losing their mind + frothing at the mouth all week, so this was just a matter of time,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Wednesday night. She added that a reporter from the Daily Mail, a British tabloid, was “going to my boyfriend’s relative’s homes+offering them cash for ‘stories.’”

“Women in leadership face more scrutiny. Period,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote.

GOP have been losing their mind + frothing at the mouth all week, so this was just a matter of time.

There is also a Daily Mail reporter (Ruth Styles) going to my boyfriend’s relative’s homes+offering them cash for “stories.”

Women in leadership face more scrutiny. Period. https://t.co/KuHJ75sdMg

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 10, 2019

For those out of the loop, Republicans began to circulate a fake nude photo of me. The @DailyCaller reposted it (!) and refused to indicate it was fake in the title as well.

Completely disgusting behavior from Conservative outlets.

No wonder they defended Kavanaugh so fiercely.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 10, 2019

The Daily Caller, which was co-founded by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, expressed regret for its headline, which had read “Here’s the Photo Some People Described as a Nude Selfie of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.”

“We regret the error, as the intent was to inform our audience that a fake image was circulating online,” The Daily Caller said in a tweet, noting editors “rapidly had it deleted and fixed.”

Geoffrey Ingersoll, The Daily Caller’s editor-in-chief, defended his publication’s story as explaining how Ocasio-Cortez’s critics tried to spread a fake photo.

Ocasio-Cortez linked The Daily Caller’s action to the broader, aggressive coverage from Fox News and other conservative media.

“The @DailyCaller, funded by @TuckerCarlson (at @FoxNews), has a well-documented relationship with white supremacy,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Thursday morning. “Unsurprising they’re targeting me.”

“The real question is, at what point is their nonstop, targeted behavior considered harassment?” Ocasio-Cortez added.

a) this is not an apology
b) you’ve been posting hysteric, misrepresentative articles about me nonstop – many within 24h.

The @DailyCaller, funded by @TuckerCarlson (at @FoxNews), has a well-documented relationship with white supremacy.

Unsurprising they’re targeting me. https://t.co/LcQuQYWdqk

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 10, 2019

Let’s learn about this, shall we?

Many have recognized that @FoxNews has crossed a line beyond conservatism and into outright bigotry with their financing of Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham. Tucker finances the @DailyCaller, which posted fake nudes of me.

Here’s a breakdown⬇️ https://t.co/nnajlpIcML

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 10, 2019

A spokesman for the congresswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Carlson is a co-founder of The Daily Caller but is no longer involved with editorial decisions at the news site on a daily basis. He stepped away two years ago — saying at the time that it was a hard decision — but retains an ownership stake.

Carlson is now a primetime host at Fox News.

“Tucker Carlson does not finance The Daily Caller in any way, nor does he have any role whatsoever in its editorial operations. She would have known that if she’d bothered to check,” a Fox News spokesperson said.

This story was updated at 2:12 p.m.