New York State Senators have called out Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her description of herself as a “Bronx girl” during a recent exchange with President Trump.
State Assemblyman Matt Slater (R-Yorktown) challenged a left-leaning lawmaker by posting a yearbook photo showing Ocasio-Cortez as a high school freshman in Yorktown, a suburb in northern Westchester County.
This incident follows Ocasio-Cortez’s heated exchanges with Trump on social media, particularly as he attempted to secure approval for airstrikes in Iran without Congress’s backing.
In response to Trump’s remarks, where he labeled her one of the “silliest” members of Congress, Ocasio-Cortez fired back with a series of tweets.
In one tweet, she stated, “Also, I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that you can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectful.”
However, Slater—who was a senior when Ocasio-Cortez was a freshman—pointed out her yearbook photo, questioning why she is featured if she only identifies as a Bronx girl. He said, “If you’re a BX girl, why are you in my Yorktown yearbook?”
He described the “AOC-Bronx myth” as amusing, especially given that the Westchester community has around 36,000 residents.
Slater remarked, “The truth is Sandy Cortez went to Yorktown High School and lived right on the corner of Friends Road and Longvue Street.”
Another mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, suggested that Ocasio-Cortez may be trying too hard to show toughness and needs to be more authentic.
Ocasio-Cortez surged to national prominence with her unexpected win in 2018, often emphasizing her Bronx roots, despite her suburban upbringing.
During her campaign, she highlighted her ties to the Bronx, even when incumbent Joe Crowley remarked on a late-night show, “I don’t think he knows how to deal with girls from the Bronx.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s family relocated to a modest home in Yorktown when she was about five years old, seeking better educational opportunities, as noted in previous reports.
She graduated from Yorktown High School in 2007, and the house was sold in 2016.
In the past, Ocasio-Cortez defended her Bronx narrative, discussing the disparities linked to geographic origins. She stated, “Growing up, it was a good town for people working. My mother scrubbed the toilet so I could live here. I grew up seeing how the zip code can shape destiny.”
As of Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez’s office had not yet responded to requests for comment.
