Ocasio-Cortez blasts NBC News for Sanders nomination tweet: ‘All to generate hate-clicks’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) ripped NBC for a tweet that noted she “did not endorse” 2020 nominee Joe Biden in her 60-second speech at the Democratic National Convention, with the first-term congresswoman calling it “completely unacceptable, disappointing, and appalling.”

“In one of the shortest speeches of the DNC, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez did not endorse Joe Biden,” NBC News said in its original post to the network’s more than 7.7 million followers.

“This is completely unacceptable, disappointing, and appalling,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in response to her 8.3 million followers. “The DNC shared the procedural purpose of my remarks to media WELL in advance. @NBC knew what was going to happen & that it was routine.”

“You waited several hours to correct your obvious and blatantly misleading tweet. It sparked an enormous amount of hatred and vitriol, & now the misinfo you created is circulating on other networks,” she added. “All to generate hate-clicks from a pre-recorded, routine procedural motion.” 

This is completely unacceptable, disappointing, and appalling.

The DNC shared the procedural purpose of my remarks to media WELL in advance. @NBC knew what was going to happen & that it was routine.

How does a headline that malicious & misleading happen w/ that prior knowledge?

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 19, 2020

You waited several hours to correct your obvious and blatantly misleading tweet.

It sparked an enormous amount of hatred and vitriol, & now the misinfo you created is circulating on other networks.

All to generate hate-clicks from a pre-recorded, routine procedural motion. https://t.co/crDlEymgMD

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 19, 2020

NBC News responded by saying it had “should have included more detail on the nomination process” and had deleted the tweet “to prevent its further spread.”

Editor’s note and clarification (1/2):

This tweet should have included more detail on the nominating process.

We have deleted the tweet to prevent its further spread, but it can be seen here for the record. pic.twitter.com/txXo4CCMOt

— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 19, 2020

Ocasio-Cortez responded by asking how the news organization was going to fix what she described as an “incredible amount of damage.”

“So @NBCNews how are you going to fix the incredible amount of damage and misinformation that you are now responsible for?” she asked. “Because a 1:15am tweet to slip under the radar after blowing up a totally false and divisive narrative across networks isn’t it.”

So @NBCNews how are you going to fix the incredible amount of damage and misinformation that you are now responsible for?

Because a 1:15am tweet to slip under the radar after blowing up a totally false and divisive narrative across networks isn’t it. https://t.co/zf6Wqiotvv

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 19, 2020

Ocasio-Cortez formally seconded the presidential nomination of a fellow progressive, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), during her brief remarks at the convention Tuesday evening. 

The nominating procedure has not prevented a speaker from endorsing a candidate in the past. At the 2008 Democratic convention in Denver, for example, California civil rights activist and Hillary Clinton supporter Dolores Huerta was chosen to place Clinton’s name in nomination, and used the opportunity to endorse then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

“This primary season, I stand with Hillary, as she stands with Barack Obama to take our country back!” Huerta said in August 2008.

Ocasio-Cortez congratulated Biden on his speech, adding she looked “forward to fighting for the future together and reclaiming our democracy in November.”

“Congratulations, @JoeBiden — I deeply look forward to fighting for our future together and reclaiming our democracy in November,” she wrote. “Thank you @DemConvention for having me deliver Sen. Sanders’ roll call nomination speech. It’s been an absolute honor.”

Congratulations, @JoeBiden – I deeply look forward to fighting for our future together and reclaiming our democracy in November.

Thank you @DemConvention for having me deliver Sen. Sanders’ roll call nomination speech.

It’s been an absolute honor.#NotMeUs & #Biden2020 https://t.co/dJN1FUQfix

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 19, 2020