DeKalb GA News

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, faced criticism on social media this week. She was accused of employing a fake accent during a rally in Nampa, Idaho, held alongside Senator Bernie Sanders. Conservative social media users likened Ocasio-Cortez's approach to using varying accents, depending on her audience, to those of Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The online accusations suggested that such tactics are common among Democrats.

The congresswoman reportedly attracted over 12,000 attendees at the rally. A video clip from the event drove much of the commentary online, where conservative voices accused her of strategically altering her voice to resonate with different demographics. Gunther Eagleman, a conservative influencer, commented on platform X, "Oh look, AOC is doing the interchangeable accents to fit the demographic she’s in front of. Did she take notes from Kamala?"

Other influencers echoed this sentiment, with Benny Johnson noting, "Seems to be using Kamala’s playbook. I guess she didn’t pay attention during the 2024 election."

These discussions added to ongoing scrutiny about alleged authenticity in political communication. Townhall.com, a conservative website, questioned the motives behind such changes in accent, asking, "This is exactly what Kamala Harris did on the campaign trail. Why do they do this?"

The observations add to the ongoing debate over how politicians tailor their speech for various audiences. The event in Idaho is part of a broader tour where Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders focus on addressing oligarchy concerns and promoting policy discussions.