Fact check: False claim video shows Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez crying in congress

Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Video shows Rep. Ocasio-Cortez cry during congressional session

A Facebook video shows three Republican congressmen speaking about Twitter and questioning a witness during floor sessions.

"YOU WORK FOR HUNTER! - AOC BREAKS DOWN In TEARS As Ted Cruz LEAKS Her Phone Chats With Potus Son," reads the video's caption in the Feb. 16 post (direct link, archive link).

The video is overlaid with text that says "Feb 15, 2023." It was viewed more than 700,000 times in a week.

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Our rating: False

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, does not appear in the video, nor does anyone mention her. No one presents phone records associated with Hunter Biden or Ocasio-Cortez.

Ocasio-Cortez does not appear in video

The Facebook video is comprised of three separate clips, none of which is consistent with the description in the post.

The first clip shows Texas Sen. Ted Cruz questioning FBI director Christopher Wray during an August 2022 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

The second clip shows Kentucky Rep. James Comer talking about Twitter during a Feb. 8 Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing. In this clip, Comer criticized the platform for suppressing certain content involving the president's son, Hunter Biden, who is being investigated by the FBI for alleged gun and tax-related offenses. Biden's business dealings and the data on his laptop, which was acquired by the FBI, are also the subject of scrutiny by some members of Congress.

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The third clip shows Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz questioning the assistant director of the FBI's Cyber Division, Bryan Vorndran, about the status of Hunter Biden's laptop at a March 2022 House Judiciary Committee hearing.

From left, James Baker, Former Deputy General Counsel at Twitter, Vijaya Gadde, Former Chief Legal Officer at Twitter, Yoel Roth Former Global Head of Trust & Safety Twitter, and Anika Collier Navaroli, a former Twitter employee, are sworn in during the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing on "Protecting Speech from Government Interference and Social Media Bias, Part 1: Twitter's Role in Suppressing the Biden Laptop Story," on Feb. 8, 2023, in Washington.

While the video is labeled Feb. 15, 2023, none of the clips were filmed on that date. Ocasio-Cortez does not appear in the video, nor is she mentioned.

USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Video shows questioning of FBI director, not AOC crying