U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) pushed back forcefully on Sunday against claims from billionaire Elon Musk and right-wing commentator Mario Nawfal, who suggested recent progressive rallies were artificially inflated by paid protesters.
The dispute emerged after Nawfal posted on X (formerly Twitter), alleging that GPS data revealed that the number of attendees at a high-profile rally—where Ocasio-Cortez appeared alongside Senator Bernie Sanders—was far lower than reported and that the attendees were part of a recurring protester network.
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“Despite claims of 34,000 attendees, GPS data analysis reveals the real number was closer to 20,000—still big, but not record-breaking,” Nawfal wrote. “More revealing? A whopping 84% of those devices had shown up at nine or more other protests, including Antifa/BLM events, pro-Hamas and pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and Kamala Harris campaign stops.”
Musk, who often engages in political discussions online, replied to Nawfal’s post with a blunt accusation: “The Dems just move around the same group of paid ‘protesters.’” That comment drew a direct response from Ocasio-Cortez, who dismissed the theory with characteristic wit. “Someone’s butthurt,” the congresswoman replied.
She added, “At the very least you can find a new, more interesting conspiracy theory to peddle.” The exchange quickly went viral on social media, with supporters and critics on both sides weighing in. Ocasio-Cortez, a frequent target of right-wing media and a vocal progressive leader, has continued to draw large crowds to rallies across the country, especially in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
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The suggestion that the Democratic Party employs a traveling group of paid demonstrators is a common narrative among some conservative circles, though no evidence has substantiated these claims in any official capacity.
Neither Sanders nor rally organizers have issued a formal response to the accusations, though many progressive allies online have rallied behind Ocasio-Cortez’s dismissal of the theory. The back-and-forth comes amid heightened tensions in American political discourse, as both major parties ramp up messaging and mobilization efforts heading into a pivotal election year.
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