Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Friday suggested Donald Trump Jr. could be subpoenaed once House Democrats take power after President Trump’s eldest son mocked her advocacy of Democratic socialism with a meme.
“I have noticed that Junior here has a habit of posting nonsense about me whenever the Mueller investigation heats up,” a seemingly perturbed Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Friday. “Please, keep it coming Jr — it’s definitely a ‘very, very large brain’ idea to troll a member of a body that will have subpoena power in a month.”
I have noticed that Junior here has a habit of posting nonsense about me whenever the Mueller investigation heats up.
Please, keep it coming Jr – it’s definitely a “very, very large brain” idea to troll a member of a body that will have subpoena power in a month.
Have fun! https://t.co/oQ6MsdJYCk
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) December 7, 2018
“Have fun!” the incoming lawmaker added. Nearly an hour and a half later, Ocasio-Cortez appeared to walk back the threat, stating that she doesn’t possess the power to issue a subpoena.
“For the GOP crying that this is a ‘threat’ – I don’t have power to subpoena anybody,” she wrote. “Congress as a body, GOP included, has the power. No indiv. member can issue a subpoena unless they are a Chair (which, as a freshman, I can assure you I will not be). Also must be under purview.”
For the GOP crying that this is a “threat” – I don’t have power to subpoena anybody.
Congress as a body, GOP included, has the power. No indiv. member can issue a subpoena unless they are a Chair (which, as a freshman, I can assure you I will not be). Also must be under purview.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) December 7, 2018
Ocasio-Cortez’s tweet came in response to a meme Trump Jr. posted to his Instagram account Thursday, mocking the economic record of socialism in other countries. The top image of the dual-paneled meme features Ocasio-Cortez with the caption: “Why are you so afraid of a socialist economy?” The image below shows President Trump responding: “Because Americans want to walk their dogs, not eat them.”
“It’s funny cuz it’s true!!!” Trump Jr. wrote in accompaniment of the meme shared to his 1.5 million followers. As of Friday afternoon, the meme has received nearly 69,000 likes and 2,800 comments.
Ocasio-Cortez may have walked back her remarks to avoid an ethics complaint early in her tenure. The House Ethics Manual bars representatives from “threatening punitive action” based on “partisan affiliation.”
“Members… are not to take or withhold any official action on the basis of the campaign contributions or support of the involved individuals, or their partisan affiliation. Members and staff are likewise prohibited from threatening punitive action on the basis of such considerations,” the manual reads.
Reacting to the threat, Kimberly Guilfoyle, vice chairwoman of the America First Action SuperPAC and girlfriend of Trump Jr., tweeted: “Did you just threaten to subpoena someone for criticizing you? As a lawyer and former prosecutor I find this deeply troubling.”
Did you just threaten to subpoena someone for criticizing you? As a lawyer and former prosecutor I find this deeply troubling. https://t.co/OqIpBkbsIS
— Kimberly Guilfoyle (@kimguilfoyle) December 7, 2018
A source close to Trump Jr. told Breitbart News that they expect an ethics complaint to be filed against Ocasio-Cortez.
After her longshot election victory over Rep. Joseph Crowley New York’s 14th congressional district, Ocasio-Cortez has quickly established herself as a leader of the Democrat party’s far-left wing, advocating for policy prescriptions such as the abolishment of ICE and a one-time cancelation of all student loans.
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