Ocasio-Cortez Faces Criticism for Accent at Memphis Rally

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York recently received backlash for the way she spoke at a campaign event in Memphis. Detractors on social media likened her speech patterns to those of former Vice President Kamala Harris.

At the rally on Friday, Ocasio-Cortez supported Democratic candidate Justin Pearson, who is currently in the Tennessee House of Representatives. She emphasized the importance of not leaving Southern states behind, stating, “We can’t leave Tennessee behind. We can’t leave Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina behind. There’s no place where we’re divided.”

She remarked on a past visit to Montgomery, Alabama, recalling a discussion about how the North should engage with the South. “Sister [Rep. Ayanna] Presley and I were in Montgomery, Alabama, and one of the things we talked about was it’s time for the North to involve the South,” Ocasio-Cortez noted.

Some critics accused her of putting on a “fake accent.” Actor Michael Rapaport, who has announced plans to run for mayor of New York City in 2029, shared his thoughts online: “AOC from the Bronx looked like a Southern Baptist preacher while in Memphis.”

On social media, conservative strategist Steve Guest mentioned, “Hillary Clinton developed an accent. Kamala Harris developed an accent. AOC developed an accent. It’s all patronizing.” Another user commented, “Rep. AOC just got arrested for doing a fake accent to a predominantly black audience. She’s seriously going full Kamala for 2028,” alluding to a potential presidential run.

Harris has frequently faced similar accusations, often criticized for changing her accent depending on her audience. For instance, she has been called out for adopting a Southern accent at rallies in Atlanta and Detroit, and even allegedly using a French accent during a visit to a coronavirus lab in France back in 2021.