Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stepped onto a Bronx stage for Eid al-Adha celebrations this week, and walked straight into a backlash that conservatives quickly turned into a viral pile-on.
Video from the event shows the New York Democrat speaking to the crowd while wearing a hijab, a headscarf worn by many Muslim women. Critics online accused Ocasio-Cortez of hypocrisy, arguing she spends plenty of time warning about patriarchy and oppression while appearing in a garment they say is linked to strict religious rules in other parts of the world.
The clip was filmed at Eid al-Adha celebrations in the Bronx, parts of which fall inside Ocasio-Cortez’s district. She has represented the area since 2019 and remains one of the most recognizable faces of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, and a frequent lightning rod for conservatives.
While AOC was preaching “solidarity” in her hijab, the male-only crowd ignored her and spoke over her: pic.twitter.com/kyiOo9XZ2p
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 29, 2026
Ocasio-Cortez was seen onstage with newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani behind her. Mamdani, a Muslim and anti-Israel politician, wore a kurta, a traditional garment commonly worn in parts of South Asia, styled to resemble the uniform of his favorite soccer team, Arsenal, which won the English championship last week.
Conservative users seized on the imagery and the moment, arguing the congresswoman’s message of “solidarity” didn’t match her past rhetoric. Some also mocked the scene itself, claiming the crowd talked over her as she spoke and appeared more focused on their own conversations than her remarks.
Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the criticism.
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