Journalist Mocks Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Clothes, Internet Rallies Behind Her
Robert Young
Updated on February 23, 2026
On Election Day, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 14th Congressional District. She has Latino roots and socialist political views, and when she takes office on January 3, 2019, the 29-year-old will become the youngest woman to serve in Congress in the history of the United States. Which means she's become somewhat of an icon on the Internet, and you cannot come for her.
But that's exactly what Eddy Scarry, a conservative journalist for The Washington Examiner, did on Thursday when he posted a now-deleted "creepshot" of her with the caption, "Hill staffer sent me this pic of Ocasio-Cortez they took just now. I'll tell you something: that jacket and coat don't look like a girl who struggles."
The tweet was in reference to a comment that she made in The New York Times earlier this month, when she said, "I have three months without a salary before I'm a member of Congress. So, how do I get an apartment? Those little things are very real."
The fact that Ocasio-Cortez comes from a working-class family in the Bronx and has previously worked in a restaurant to make ends meet has made her somewhat of a hero among many left-wing Millennials, who want to see more elected officials who understand the struggles of hustling to make do in today's economy.
So, needless to say, Scarry's tweet didn't land well, and social media users clapped back with their greatest asset: memes.
Hill staffer sent me this pic of Ocasio-Cortez they took just now. I'll tell you something: that jacket and coat don't look like a girl who struggles
— David Mack (@davidmackau) November 15, 2018
Does the now-viral Central Park duck look like a girl who struggles?
Hill staffer sent me this pic of Ocasio-Cortez they took just now. I'll tell you something: that jacket and coat don't look like a girl who struggles.
— Julia Moser (@juliamoserrrr) November 15, 2018
How about this dude in a blown-up puffer jacket?
Hill staffer sent me this pic of Ocasio-Cortez they took just now. I'll tell you something: that jacket and coat don't look like a girl who struggles.
— Court ♀️♀️ (@courtdanee2) November 15, 2018
OK, but what about Kendall Jenner in a gigantic coat?
Hill staffer sent me this pic of Ocasio-Cortez they took just now. I'll tell you something: that jacket and coat don't look like a girl who struggles.
— maya kosoff (@mekosoff) November 15, 2018
How about Marge Simpson?
Hill staffer sent me this pic of Ocasio-Cortez they took just now. I'll tell you something: that jacket and coat don't look like a girl who struggles.
— (@MrMichaelSwartz) November 15, 2018
What about this monkey in a winter coat? Does she look like a girl who struggles?
that jacket and coat don't look like a girl who struggles
— Christopher Sebela (@xtop) November 16, 2018
Scarry responded to all the criticism surrounding his tweet by deleting it and telling people it was misinterpreted, which is the Twitter version of making someone uncomfortable in the workplace and saying, "Can't you take a joke?"
ATTN! I posted a tweet earlier suggesting the incoming congresswoman looked well put together — ELEGANT even — despite suggestions she's struggled. The tweet was taken as something else, so I've deleted it!
— Eddie Scarry (@eScarry) November 16, 2018
On her part, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted her own response to the clothing controversy, one which elegantly summed up the sexism that's still so pervasive in American politics.
If I walked into Congress wearing a sack, they would laugh & take a picture of my backside.
If I walk in with my best sale-rack clothes, they laugh & take a picture of my backside.
Dark hates light – that's why you tune it out.
Shine bright & keep it pushing.✨
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) November 15, 2018
She also reminded Scarry that just because he deleted his tweet, the Internet never forgets.
Oh, does @eScarry think he can delete his misogyny without an apology?
I don't think so. You're a journalist – readers should know your bias.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) November 16, 2018
And for more remarks that you might not realize are sexist (but totally are), check out The 17 Worst Things a Man Can Say to a Woman.
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Diana Bruk Diana is a senior editor who writes about sex and relationships, modern dating trends, and health and wellness.Read moreRead This NextThe "American Bro" Is an International Embarrassment
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