New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is facing accusations of slandering President Donald Trump after referring to him as a “rapeer” on social media. This came amidst ongoing controversies surrounding the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in a New York prison in 2019 while facing serious allegations related to child sex trafficking.
Ocasio-Cortez, known for her confrontational exchanges with Trump during their political careers, sparked this latest debate by questioning who would complicate the release of the Epstein Files in a post on X. It seems she was hinting at the 2023 civil trial involving Trump and author E. Jean Carroll, in which judges found Trump liable for sexual assault but not for rape. Critics of Ocasio-Cortez quickly seized on her use of the term “rapeer.”
The reaction intensified following a statement from the Trump Justice Department indicating there was no list of Epstein’s clients. Legal analysts urged Ocasio-Cortez to be cautious about her choice of words, as Trump supporters reacted strongly to her remarks.
Legal analyst Phil Holloway suggested on X that Trump should consider suing Ocasio-Cortez, while emphasizing that her comments might be an attempt to boost her profile—albeit in questionable terms.
In other exchanges, Republican Senator Mike Lee pointed out the issue of potential liability concerning slander, particularly in the context of political discourse. There were also questions raised by Oklahoma Republican Senator Mark Wayne Mullin regarding the delay in releasing the Epstein Files.
Many on social media rallied around Trump, defending him against Ocasio-Cortez’s critiques. A Town Hall contributor noted how the situation had seemingly repeated itself, recalling previous settlements involving Trump and media figures.
During a tense interview, George Stephanopoulos of ABC News had brought up Trump’s liability in a civil lawsuit related to rape, which did not sit well with several commentators. In response to the outrage, some supported Ocasio-Cortez’s language, arguing that she hadn’t explicitly named Trump in her post.
Attempts to reach out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office for comments about this latest controversy went unanswered. Meanwhile, reactions varied from outrage to mockery concerning Ocasio-Cortez’s use of the term “rapeer,” with some suggesting she might need serious help given her choice of words.
