New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has ignited a firestorm with a single social media post that’s got Trump supporters and legal minds calling for her financial ruin over what they deem a defamatory jab.
According to Fox News, Ocasio-Cortez posted a comment on X tying President Donald Trump to the Jeffrey Epstein controversy and labeling him a "rapist," sparking outrage from critics. They argue she crossed a legal line, since no court has ever criminally convicted Trump of such a crime.
Let’s rewind to Friday, when Ocasio-Cortez took to X with a pointed quip: "Wow, who would have thought that electing a rapist would have complicated the release of the Epstein Files?"
Now, that’s a loaded statement, especially when you consider the context she seems to pull from—a 2023 civil trial where a jury found Trump liable for sexual assault, but explicitly not for rape, in a case involving writer E. Jean Carroll.
Critics pounced faster than a cat on a laser pointer, arguing that using such a term without a criminal conviction is a textbook case of defamation, and they’re not mincing words about the consequences she might face.
Legal analyst Phil Holloway didn’t hold back on X, declaring, "The President should sue AOC into bankruptcy."
That’s a bold call, but others echo it—including Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee, who noted that Ocasio-Cortez may have stepped into dangerous territory with her remark, even under lenient legal standards.
Trump ally Laura Loomer piled on, reminding everyone of a recent $15 million settlement ABC News and George Stephanopoulos paid Trump after similar missteps, warning AOC to have "millions ready" for a potential lawsuit.
The backdrop here is the Jeffrey Epstein saga, the disgraced financier who died in a New York City jail cell in 2019 while facing federal charges for child sex trafficking, a case that still haunts public discourse.
Ocasio-Cortez’s post seems to tie Trump to the Epstein controversy, though the Trump Department of Justice has stated there’s no client list to release, a point that muddies the waters of her accusation.
Some defenders on social media argue she didn’t directly name Trump, suggesting a defamation suit might not stick, but that’s a thin shield against the barrage of criticism she’s facing.
ABC News and Stephanopoulos added fuel to the fire when they settled with Trump after the anchor repeatedly claimed during a March 10, 2024, interview with Rep. Nancy Mace that Trump was found liable for rape—a statement the network later walked back in an editor’s note.
The $15 million payout (though one critic estimated it at \$16 million) starkly reminds public figures of the cost of reckless language—a lesson some believe Ocasio-Cortez might soon learn the hard way.
White House communication director Steven Cheung delivered a sharp but measured jab at AOC, telling Fox News Digital that she’s battling a severe obsession with Trump and urging her to seek help instead of hurling accusations—a critique that stings without dipping into personal attacks.
