On her way to attending a rally by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., titled "Fighting Oligarchy" in Las Vegas, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was photographed on her flight sitting in first class.
A passenger snapped a photo of Ocasio-Cortez sitting in a window seat in the roomy first-class cabin of JetBlue Flight 511 on March 19 that departed John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York for Las Vegas, where she spoke the next day at the rally, as well as a rally in Arizona, the New York Post reported Monday.
A similar weekday and time first-class JetBlue seat for later this month cost upward of $1,100, according to the Post. First-class seats on planes have been widely derided by climate-change activists like Ocasio-Cortez because they typically produce many times more carbon emissions than economy seats because they take up more room, thus reducing the number of passengers on an airplane at one time.
"Nothing says, 'Power to the people' like ignoring voters looking to say hello and reclining in first class while tweeting about income inequality,'" the passenger who took the photo, identified as Tracey from Brooklyn, told the Post, adding that the New York Democrat did not respond to friendly comments once she sat down.
"AOC is fighting the system one first-class mimosa at a time." said the passenger, who was sitting in the economy cabin.
Ocasio-Cortez, whose 14th congressional district includes parts of the Bronx and Queens — is seen leaning over in her seat, appearing to grab or look at something. A man is sitting next to her.
"Socialists are hypocrites," Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told the Post.
Ocasio-Cortez spoke March 20 in Las Vegas and Tempe, Arizona, at rallies that were part of a series of "Fighting Oligarchy" events Sanders launched after efforts by President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to streamline the federal government by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. She also spoke at two rallies on March 21 in Colorado and another March 22 in Tucson, Arizona, according to Sanders' website.
"We, as a community, must choose and vote for Democrats and elected officials who know how to stand for the working class," Ocasio-Cortez said March 20, according to the Post. "We're gonna throw these bums out and fight for the nation we deserve. This isn't just about Republicans. We need a Democratic Party that fights harder for us, too."
Ocasio-Cortez criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., last month for his support of a Republican-led funding measure instead of fighting and shutting down the government. She called it a "betrayal."
Gerard Kassar, chair of the New York Conservative Party, told the Post that Ocasio-Cortez was showing how much she's "out-of-touch" with her principles.
"It's absolutely rich in hypocrisy," he said. "Hypocrisy is the operative word."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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