Nearly four years after the infamous January 6th Capitol riot, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has opened up about the lingering emotional scars the event left on her psyche. Speaking on a recent podcast, Ocasio-Cortez shared how the events of that day still haunt her dreams.
“It’s not just a memory—it’s a recurring nightmare,” she said. “I’ll be walking through the Capitol, and suddenly there’s this guy in a buffalo hat chasing me down the hall. He’s yelling something incomprehensible, and I’m frantically trying to lock myself in a broom closet. I wake up in a cold sweat every time.”
Therapy and Coping
Ocasio-Cortez revealed that she’s been in therapy since the attack, which she describes as "both a personal and national trauma." Her therapist reportedly uses exposure therapy, including showing her pictures of buffalo hats and lecterns to help her confront her fears.
“It’s helped, but it’s a slow process,” she admitted. “The other day, I saw a guy in a coonskin cap at Whole Foods, and I just froze. It was like my brain was screaming, ‘Run! He’s got zip ties!’”
Triggered by Historical Tours
The nightmares, however, aren’t limited to her sleeping hours. Ocasio-Cortez confessed that she can’t even walk past the Capitol’s visitor tours without feeling uneasy.
“I was walking to a committee meeting the other day, and I heard a tour guide say, ‘This is where the rioters broke in,’” she said. “I nearly dove into a shrub. Turns out it was just a bunch of tourists with fanny packs.”
Critics Respond
While her supporters have praised her courage for speaking out, critics have not been as kind. Conservative commentators mocked her for what they saw as melodramatic reactions.
“Nightmares? Really?” said one pundit on Fox & Friends. “I have nightmares too, but they’re about high taxes and electric cars, not some guy in a funny hat.”
Donald Trump, now a self-proclaimed "retirement influencer," weighed in on his social media platform, TRUTH, posting: “AOC is STILL talking about Jan. 6? SAD! I had nightmares once too—about her Green New Deal!”
AOC Claps Back
Ocasio-Cortez, never one to shy away from a fight, responded to her critics with characteristic flair. “It’s easy to make jokes about something you’ve never experienced,” she said in a live Instagram video while assembling IKEA furniture. “But until you’ve been hunted through your workplace by a dude who looks like an off-brand Viking, maybe sit this one out.”
She added, “And for the record, I’m glad I’m still talking about January 6th. We all should be. People have nightmares because it was a nightmare.”
Moving Forward
Despite the lingering trauma, Ocasio-Cortez remains optimistic. “I know I’ll heal eventually,” she said. “One day, I’ll be able to see a buffalo hat and think, ‘Fashion choice,’ instead of, ‘Incoming insurrection.’ Until then, I’m taking it one day at a time—and keeping my pepper spray handy, just in case.”
As for her political ambitions, AOC says the events of January 6th have only made her more determined to fight for democracy. “If I can survive that day,” she said, “I can survive anything. Even another two-hour committee meeting with Ted Cruz.”
Meanwhile, buffalo hat sales have reportedly plummeted, much to the delight of traumatized lawmakers everywhere.