NEW YORK — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is facing death threats and vandalism at her campaign office after voting against a controversial amendment that sought to slash U.S. funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign office in the Bronx was targeted Sunday night. Red paint was splattered across the building, and a sign reading “AOC funds genocide in Gaza” was hung outside, according to video footage shared by local news outlets. No arrests have been made so far, Politico reported.
The congresswoman’s campaign manager and senior advisor, Oliver Hidalgo-Wohlleben, confirmed the incident on Monday evening.
“Last night, our campaign office in the Bronx was vandalized and we are in the process of cleaning it up,” he posted on X. “In the past few days, we also have received multiple threats on the Congresswoman’s life, and we are treating this seriously with our security partners to make sure she, our staff, and volunteers are safe.”
Controversial Vote Sparks Backlash
Though Ocasio-Cortez has long criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, her vote last Friday against a GOP-sponsored amendment by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) drew anger from some progressives. The amendment, part of a broader defense spending bill, aimed to halt funding for the Iron Dome system.
Ocasio-Cortez defended her decision in a series of posts over the weekend.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene’s amendment does nothing to cut off offensive aid to Israel nor end the flow of U.S. munitions being used in Gaza. Of course I voted against it,” she wrote on X. “What it does do is cut off defensive Iron Dome capacities while allowing the actual bombs killing Palestinians to continue.”
She added: “I remain focused on cutting the flow of U.S. munitions that are being used to perpetuate the genocide in Gaza.”
Though the Iron Dome amendment failed, the House ultimately passed the full defense spending bill on Friday. Ocasio-Cortez voted against it and later posted screenshots of her vote to push back against claims that she supported military funding.
“If you’re saying I voted for military funding, you are lying,” she wrote. “Receipts attached.”
As of now, authorities continue to investigate the threats and vandalism.
