Photo of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Smiling as Republicans Argue Goes Viral

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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A photo of Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez smiling as House Republicans struggled to elect a speaker for the second day in a row during Wednesday's Congress meeting went viral on social media.

The image shot by photographer Anna Moneymaker and shared on Twitter in the aftermath of the 118th Congress' second meeting, shows Ocasio-Cortez laughing as Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz—who's among the 20 defectors who voted against Kevin McCarthy's bid to become House leader—makes an impassioned speech to his fellow Republicans opposing McCarthy.

"AOC smiling in the background of the ongoing GOP dumpster fire," commented a Twitter user, comparing the image to a well-known meme of a girl standing in front of a house on fire.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Above, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (middle) smiles as Republican House members, including Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (L) argue on the House floor on January 4, 2023. It was the second day of voting for... Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

"There is so much to be said about the Old Masters-style composition of this photograph by ANNA MONEYMAKER for GETTY IMAGES," lawyer Mike Godwin tweeted.

"Living vicariously through @AOC right now," wrote Gen Z activist Olivia Julianna, who last year raised over $1.5 million for abortion funds after being body-shamed by Gaetz.

Between Tuesday and Wednesday, McCarthy lost six consecutive votes, failing to gather enough support to become the speaker of the House—a historic defeat for the Republican representative.

The opposition to McCarthy of 20 House Republicans, most of whom are hardliners and members of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus, has paralyzed Congress and thrown the GOP into turmoil.

Ocasio-Cortez and her fellow Democrats have been accused of reveling in the chaos unfolding within the Republican Party, with Republican Representative Kat Cammack accusing Democrats of getting drunk during voting.

"Diversity of thought is a good thing," Cammack said during a speech in Congress on Wednesday. "But they want us divided. They want us to fight each other. That much has been made clear by the popcorn and blankets and alcohol that has come in over there."

Ocasio-Cortez has fought back against the accusation, writing on Twitter: "If only! If Dems took a shot every time McCarthy lost a Republican, we'd all be unconscious by now."

Congress is set to reconvene at noon on Thursday to nominate a House speaker.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

Writers Page

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more