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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is taking heat from southern conservatives after she delivered a fiery speech in Montgomery, Alabama, last week, demanding that northern progressives “pull up to the South.”
Speaking at the “All Roads Lead to The South” rally May 16, the prominent “Squad” member claimed the U.S. was not a true democracy until the 1960s when the Voting Rights Act was passed, and took direct aim at the Supreme Court, accusing the high court under Chief Justice John Roberts of being “part of that long history of regression and repression in America.”
Ocasio-Cortez then issued a highly controversial call to action, demanding that “the North” travel to red states like Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi to fight what she described as political injustice.
She doubled down on social media following the event, writing, “If you’re not from these states, it’s time to pull up.”
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a news conference on April 29, 2026 outside the U.S. Capitol. (Tom Brenner/Getty Images)
Her rhetoric was quickly slammed by conservatives on social media, with many pointing out the irony of the congresswoman urging people to “pull up” while she stood heavily protected during her speech behind bulletproof glass.
Conservative podcaster Todd Spears went viral with a TikTok reaction video that racked up 1 million views, mocking Ocasio-Cortez’s security setup.
“[Pull up] and do what? Help us get the boat off the trailer, like cut the grass, track a deer in the woods?” Spears said. “Roll up and do what exactly? Because you’re standing behind, like, pope glass in your own hometown. You come down here starting that s—, you better bring a tank. That’s not a good idea. You stay where you’re at.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to reporters during an election night rally in Brooklyn, New York, on Nov. 4, 2025, as initial projections declare Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani the winner for New York City mayor. (Reuters/Jeenah Moon)
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Spears also criticized the divisive nature of her remarks, writing in the video caption that “AOC talking about the North ‘rolling up’ on the South and Alabama, like this is still the 1860s, is wild.”
“Maybe politicians should spend less time trying to divide Americans and more time fixing the mess we already have,” he added.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to reporters after Mahmoud Khalil arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport on June 21, 2025. (Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com)
Another TikTok creator, Kei Bennett, whose video garnered more than 800,000 views, warned Ocasio-Cortez’s supporters not to take the bait.
“I want to issue a stern warning so you do not take her advice and pull up on Alabama,” Bennett said, jokingly citing local dangers ranging from wild hogs and bayou gators to locals who “will not hesitate to unite and get you the f— up out of here.”
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Bennett, who has more than half a million followers on the platform, warned the congresswoman’s followers that “down here in the South we don’t call cops, we call coroners,” adding, “Stay your a– up there, leave us alone. We ain’t bothering nobody.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.
