After Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez issued a tweet complaining that her ailing grandmother in Puerto Rico was suffering, invoking former President Trump as a seeming cause, but not indicating she herself could offer help of her own, faux comedienne Kathy Griffin, infamous for posing with a severed head representing Trump, paid obsequious homage, replying, “Thank you for doing a great job. You represent Americans better than we represent ourselves.”
Ocasio-Cortez had tweeted, “Just over a week ago, my [grandmother] fell ill. I went to Puerto Rico to see her- my 1st time in a year+ bc of COVID. This is her home. Hurricane María relief hasn’t arrived. Trump blocked relief $ for PR. People are being forced to flee ancestral homes, & developers are taking them.”
Pundit Glenn Greenwald snapped, “One of the absolute best moments on Twitter this year (and don’t let anyone put doubts in your head by preposterously claiming that there was anything satirical or ‘joking’ about @kathygriffin’s tweet[)]. So often, woke liberalism masks these kinds of sentiments.”
One of the absolute best moments on Twitter this year (and don't let anyone put doubts in your head by preposterously claiming that there was anything satirical or "joking" about @kathygriffin's tweet. So often, woke liberalism masks these kinds of sentiments: pic.twitter.com/7qBpSyIsjn
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 3, 2021
Ocasio-Cortez was blistered on social media for her tweet.
Griffin’s comments on how to best represent America are not the first time she has waxed eloquent on American politics; in January 2020, she ripped Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, tweeting, “Ok, it’s time to admit how ignorant we are. His name is Mark Esper. Trump chose him because he used to work at Boeing. He was a captain in the army during a non-war period.”
Ok, it’s time to admit how ignorant we are. His name is Mark Esper. Trump chose him because he used to work at Boeing. He was a captain in the army during a non-war period. https://t.co/Ue2h4OEcPC
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 3, 2020
One problem, as The Daily Wire noted: “Esper is a combat veteran who served in the in the 1990-1991 Gulf War with the 101st Airborne Division, which debunks Griffin’s claims that he served during ‘a non-war period.’ … The Department of Defense highlighted the awards that Esper earned through his service to the United States.”
The Daily Wire then quoted a portion of a Defense Department bio of Esper:
Dr. Esper is a recipient of the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service. Among his many military awards and decorations are the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal-Saudi Arabia, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
In August 2018, Griffin bloviated that police in Portland, Oregon, were siding with Nazis and that cops in America were “largely racist.” She tweeted:
Oh, f*** off! Police in Portland,of all cities, siding with & protecting nazis “proud boys” and “prayer…” some s***. White America has to face the harsh reality that cops are largely racist. Yeah, I said it. The cops are fighting the actual Portlanders and calling them “antifa.”
Oh, fuck off! Police in Portland,of all cities, siding with & protecting nazis “proud boys” and “prayer…” some shit. White America has to face the harsh reality that cops are largely racist. Yeah, I said it. The cops are fighting the actual Portlanders and calling them “antifa” https://t.co/Z08UuXefaR
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 4, 2018
Of course, there was one huge hole in Griffin’s commentary: the chief of police of Portland since 2017 had been a black woman. Danielle Outlaw served 19 years with the Oakland Police Department before she was appointed deputy chief of police in Oakland in 2013. She became chief of police in Portland in 2017.