FACT CHECK: No, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Did Not Fake Her Recent Arrest

A video shared on Facebook claims Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently faked her own arrest. 

Verdict: False

There is no evidence to suggest that Ocasio-Cortez’s arrest was fake or staged. It was widely reported that Ocasio-Cortez and several other members of Congress were arrested.

Fact Check:

U.S. Capitol Police arrested 35 demonstrators Tuesday, including 17 members of Congress, during a pro-abortion protest outside of the Supreme Court, according to CBS News. Ocasio-Cortez was one of the 35 arrested, the outlet reported.

A video shared on Facebook claims Ocasio-Cortez faked her arrest. It shows an officer escorting the congresswoman away from the protest with her hands behind her back. At one point, Ocasio-Cortez raises her fist in the air, revealing that her hands were unrestrained.

“Why would AOC be faking getting arrested…” the text included in the video. “Only to forget and then wave to people?! What kind of crazy is this?!” (RELATED: Did Jim Jordan Tell Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez To ‘Go Back To Bartending?)

The claim that Ocasio-Cortez faked her arrest is incorrect. Numerous credible news outlets including The Hill, The Guardian and CNN all reported on the congresswoman’s arrest. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to suggest her arrest was not legitimate. The Capitol Police confirmed in a press release that 17 members of Congress were arrested during the July 19 demonstration. 

“It is against the law to block traffic, so officers gave the demonstrators three standard warnings to get out of the street,” the release reads. “When the demonstrators refused to get out of the street, the officers arrested them for Crowding, Obstructing or Incommoding (DC Code § 22–1307).”

While there is no evidence that Ocasio-Cortez faked her arrest, some conservatives claimed she faked being handcuffed by placing her hands behind her back, according to Fox News. The congresswoman addressed the claim in a tweet, writing, “No faking here. Putting your hands behind your back is a best practice while detained, handcuffed or not, to avoid escalating charges like resisting arrest.”

No faking here. Putting your hands behind your back is a best practice while detained, handcuffed or not, to avoid escalating charges like resisting arrest.

But given how you lied about a fellow rape survivor for “points,” as you put it to me, I don’t expect much else from you. pic.twitter.com/lUc1TPS21D

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 20, 2022

Check Your Fact has reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received. 

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases