Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is not letting an opportunity to rake in money go to waste.
On Tuesday, 17 Democratic lawmakers were arrested during a protest in favor of keeping abortion legal. The Washington Examiner notes that the arrests ranged from “violations of laws against crowding, obstructing, and incommoding.”
Ocasio-Cortez was among those lawmakers who were arrested, and she is not wasting the opportunity to raise some money.
As the Examiner noted, the New York Congresswoman sent out an email that read, “Alexandria was just arrested by Capitol Police outside the Supreme Court during an abortion rights demonstration. Rush a $3 contribution to abortion access groups right now to show Congress we stand with AOC and [We Won’t Back Down].”
It added that 100% of the contributions would be sent to pro-abortion groups, including Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, Protect Kentucky Access, and Michigan Reproductive Freedom for All.
The email went on, “Alexandria will not rest until Congress does what needs to be done to codify abortion care as a human right in our country.”
“In the meantime, you can help folks seeking to access [abortion] care right now by splitting a $3 contribution to abortion access groups,” it added.
Bystanders captured Ocasio-Cortez being led away from the protest by a police officer.
And fully aware of the cameras, she smirked and held her hands behind her back as though she were handcuffed.
However, she later raised one fist.
In case you missed it:
AOC pretended to be in handcuffs when she was escorted away from the Supreme Court pic.twitter.com/QnUP4ZQWxX
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) July 19, 2022
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) was seen walking with her hands behind her back. She also later raised a fist.
Today I was arrested while participating in a civil disobedience action with my fellow Members of Congress outside the Supreme Court.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 19, 2022
I will continue to do everything in my power to raise the alarm about the assault on our reproductive rights! ✊🏽pic.twitter.com/rpFYOGBDf4
Conservatives quickly took to Twitter to roast the two Democrats for their apparent theater of pretending to be handcuffed.
Fox News political analyst Brit Hume tweeted about Ocasio-Cortez, “Note the handcuff pose, abandoned only to raise her fist in the air. The queen of gestures.”
Note the handcuff pose, abandoned only to raise her fist in the air. The queen of gestures. https://t.co/48S5OyiiE6
— Brit Hume (@brithume) July 19, 2022
It is somewhat ironic that while Ocasio-Cortez’s email vows she will “not rest until Congress does what needs to be done to codify abortion” access, she was arrested during a protest outside the Supreme Court.
If she wanted to make sure Congress “does what needs to be done,” you might expect her to camp outside the offices of Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and try to convince them to get rid of the 60 vote threshold in the Senate so Democrats can pass a bill to codify abortion access with just 51 votes.
But it seems getting dramatic videos of her arrest and flashy headlines is easier.