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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced accusations on social media Friday after delivering remarks at a campaign event in Memphis for progressive House candidate Justin Pearson, a Tennessee state representative. Critics claimed the New York Democrat altered her speaking style while addressing the crowd, drawing comparisons to former Vice President Kamala Harris.
During the rally, Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the importance of Democratic engagement across the South, stating that “we cannot afford to leave Tennessee behind” and referencing visits to Alabama with fellow Representative Ayanna Pressley. She urged northern Democrats to “roll up to the South” in support of southern candidates and causes.
Social media users seized on portions of her speech, with actor Michael Rapaport posting that the Bronx-born congresswoman sounded “like a southern Baptist preacher while in Memphis.” Conservative communications strategist Steve Guest drew parallels to other political figures, writing that “Hillary Clinton developed an accent. Kamala Harris developed an accent. AOC is developing an accent. It’s all patronizing.”
Harris faced similar criticism in 2024 over her speech patterns at rallies in Atlanta and Detroit, as well as during a 2021 visit to France. Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the accent allegations.
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