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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is under fire from southern conservatives after she delivered a fiery speech in Montgomery, Alabama, last week, demanding that northern progressives “go up South.”
Speaking at the “All Roads Lead to The South” rally on May 16, a prominent member of “The Team” said the US was not a true democracy until the 1960s when the Voting Rights Act was passed, and focused on the Supreme Court, accusing the high court under Chief Justice John Roberts of being “part of that long history of backwardness and oppression in America.”
Ocasio-Cortez then issued a controversial proclamation, demanding that “the North” travel to red states like Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi to fight against what he described as political injustice.
He doubled down on social media following the event, writing, “If you don’t belong in these states, it’s time to get out.”
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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a news conference on April 29, 2026 outside the US Capitol. (Tom Brenner/Getty Images)
His speech was immediately criticized by conservatives on social media, with many pointing out the irony of the conference urging people to “stand up” while being heavily protected while speaking behind bulletproof glass.
Conservative podcaster Todd Spears went viral with a reaction TikTok video that racked up 1 million views, mocking Ocasio-Cortez’s security setup.
“[Pull up] and what did you do? Help us get the boat off the trailer, like mow the lawn, go after deer in the woods?” Spears said. “What exactly did you do? Because you stand behind, like, the pope’s glass in your own city. You come down here and start that—, you better bring a tank. That is not a good idea. Stay where you are.”
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to reporters during an election night rally in Brooklyn, New York, on Nov. 4, 2025, as early predictions declare Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani the winner of the mayoralty of New York City. (Reuters/Jeenah Moon)
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Spears also criticized the divisiveness of his words, captioning the video that “the AOC talks about the ‘hard’ North in the South and Alabama, like the 1860s, in the wild.”
“Perhaps politicians should spend less time trying to divide the American people and more time fixing the mess we already have,” he added.
Representative 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 has garnered more than 800,000 views, warned Ocasio-Cortez’s followers not to adopt the trend.
“I want to give you a strong warning not to take his advice and go near Alabama,” Bennett said, jokingly referring to local dangers from wild hogs and bayou gators to locals “who won’t hesitate to round you up and get you out — get out of here.”
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Bennett, who has more than half a million supporters at the podium, warned congressional supporters that “here in South Africa we don’t call the police, we call the investigators,” adding, “Stay — up there, leave us alone. We’re not bothering anybody.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
