Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a nominating speech but a misleading tweet from NBC News made it sound like she had insulted presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
“So @NBCNews how are you going to fix the incredible amount of damage and misinformation that you are now responsible for?” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter early Wednesday after the network issued an explanation for the initial tweet. “Because a 1:15 am tweet to slip under the radar after blowing up a totally false and divisive narrative across networks isn’t it.”
In a tweet after her speech, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez explained her nomination for Sen. Sanders at #DemConvention, and extended her "deepest congratulations" to Joe Biden. https://t.co/DIU4YYhQYV
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 19, 2020
NBC deleted the initial tweet to avoid its further speculation, but gave a screenshot “for the record.” The network said it should have included more detail on the nominating process.
“Ocasio-Cortez was asked by the DNC to second Sanders’ nomination. The nomination is a procedural requirement of the convention,” NBC wrote in its clarification. “Ocasio-Cortez has previously endorsed Biden, & her speech was similar in length to other nominating speeches.”
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The news outlet also released an article with the headline “AOC backs Sanders for president — ignores Biden in brief remarks.” It was updated to say “AOC symbolically nominates Bernie Sanders in 60-second DNC speech.”
The progressive Democrat, who endorsed and campaigned for Sanders in the Democratic presidential primaries, said she’d vote for Biden after Sanders released out of the race in April. Sanders, too, has endorsed Joe Biden.
The DNC nominating process served as a tribute to Sanders, the only other Democratic candidate who won enough delegates to be formally chosen at the convention. However, some viewers, clearly in the dark of this tradition, showed confusion online, thinking Ocasio-Cortez was challenging Biden’s candidacy.
Previously after the address, Ocasio-Cortez gave an explanation for those who were filled with confusion and offered her “deepest congratulations” and support to Joe Biden.
Several hours later, after NBC explained its original message, Ocasio-Cortez said the network’s tweet was “completely unacceptable, disappointing and appalling” and noted media were made aware of the “procedural purpose” of her “routine” comments well in advance.
You waited several hours to correct your obvious and blatantly misleading tweet.
It sparked an enormous amount of hatred and vitriol, & now the misinfo you created is circulating on other networks.
All to generate hate-clicks from a pre-recorded, routine procedural motion. https://t.co/crDlEymgMD
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 19, 2020
She blamed the network of waiting hours to rectify the “obvious and blatantly misleading tweet,” which she said sparked insult, misinformation and confusion.
“All to generate hate-clicks from a pre-recorded, routine procedural motion,” she added.
NBC News Social Media did not quickly respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on whether it would take further action.
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So @NBCNews how are you going to fix the incredible amount of damage and misinformation that you are now responsible for?
Because a 1:15am tweet to slip under the radar after blowing up a totally false and divisive narrative across networks isn’t it. https://t.co/zf6Wqiotvv
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 19, 2020
In a lengthy statement on Facebook about her comments, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that while Sanders didn’t win the election, the matters and injustices he battled against are still very real. She made it clear in her address that she’ll carry on to battle for systemic solutions to progressive causes.
