Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed fellow congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s latest comments blaming gender-affirming care after a shooter opened fire inside a private Christian elementary school in Nashville on Monday.
The shooter, identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, was armed with two “assault-style” weapons, as well as a handgun, authorities said. At least two of them were believed to have been obtained legally in the Nashville area.
Metro Nashville Police officers shot and killed Hale after she killed eight people, including three nine-year-old children, at Covenant Presbyterian School. Hale reportedly identified as transgender and used he/him pronouns. Law enforcement officials described the suspect as a woman in the aftermath of the shooting.
Greene almost immediately pointed to the shooter’s supposed gender identity in a series of tweets.
“How much hormones like testosterone and medications for mental illness was the transgender Nashville school shooter taking,” the Georgia Republican tweeted. “Everyone can stop blaming guns now.”
In response, Ocasio-Cortez slammed Greene’s remarks after House votes on Monday evening.
“It’s absolutely disgusting and she should be looking into a mirror as to why she’s defending and posing with the same weapons that are being used to kill children, teachers & educators,” she told The Independent.
Greene defended her words, telling The Independent: “It’s not about their identity,” the far-right lawmaker told The Independent in a heated interview. “It’s the question or this is what kind of hormones are they on? What kind of medications are they taking for mental illness? What is causing this aggression in this biological female who identifies as a male for them to go in and murder children?”
“But these are important things. It’s important because what will testosterone do to a biological woman? She’s taking tons of testosterone trying to make herself look like a man,” Greene said.
Ocasio-Cortez was not the only one slamming Greene’s comments. Critics on Twitter also had a lot to say about her remarks.
Check some of the reactions below.
How much hormones like testosterone and medications for mental illness was the transgender Nashville school shooter taking?
Everyone can stop blaming guns now.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) March 27, 2023
Have to give it to you. Right when I think you can’t be any worse, you prove me wrong.
— Gee Scott Sr. (@GeeScottSr) March 27, 2023
This is DESPICABLE
— Rachel Sklar (she/her) (@rachelsklar) March 27, 2023
I bet you think you’re a very serious person. Like, you think you really are something. Good, God, help us.
— Wilson Cruz (@wcruz73) March 28, 2023
Yes! Please write a bill that prohibits the purchase and ownership of firearms by people with testosterone in their system.
— Shadi Petosky (@shadipetosky) March 28, 2023
How much testosterone do you take?I imagine a lot in order to explain your inappropriate rages & apparent mental illness. So you will politicize a heart breaking crime committed by a transgender person but not gun violence in general? Cherry picking to raise $ from ur base.
— Charlie Adler (@charlie_adler) March 27, 2023
Delete your account.
— The Tyler Merritt Project (@TTMProject) March 28, 2023
Have fun in hell.
— Benjamin Dreyer (@BCDreyer) March 27, 2023
I used to think you were too stupid to be genuinely evil, but I've come around on that.
— Eric D. Snider (@EricDSnider) March 28, 2023
Genuinely disgusting shit.
— Eck (@EckhartsLadder) March 27, 2023
You’re a fucking maniac
— Bob Karp (@BobKarpDR) March 28, 2023
You really are an evil piece of shit.
Don't you have a marriage to ruin somewhere?
— Matt Ortega (@MattOrtega) March 28, 2023
What a ghoulish thing to tweet while parents are grieving.
— Zombaekillz (@ZombaeKillz) March 28, 2023
You are a sick, soulless monster.
— Serena Daniari (@serenajazmine) March 27, 2023
