Sometimes the lady just looks frustrated and confused, doesn’t she? It took some patience and repetition by an FBI counterterrorism official on Tuesday to explain to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that charging people with “domestic terrorism” cannot happen because there is no such law on the books.
Even still, the fact did not get through to AOC, as the day after the congressional hearing, she took to Twitter and somehow claimed she was right and the FBI was wrong, although there was no explanation as to how she arrived at that conclusion. It seems more likely Ocasio-Cortez simply needed to try to paper over her embarrassing performance.
The whole thing started and ended with AOC’s insistence that Muslims are treated differently in the U.S. In her view, Muslims get charged with terrorism for their crimes, while white supremacists do not get charged with “domestic terrorism” and get “off the hook” when committing similar crimes.
Michael McGarrity, the assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division of the FBI, replied, “You’re using the word ‘charge.’ As I said before, there’s no domestic terrorism charge like 18 USC § 2339 ABCD for a foreign terrorist organization. What we do both on the international terrorism side with the homegrown violent extremists and domestic terrorism, we’ll use any tool in the toolkit to arrest them.”
The congresswoman was not listening as she went back to him with the same accusations of failure to charge whites with domestic terror.
“You’re not going to find an actual charge of domestic terrorism out there if you look at Title 18–,” McGarrity replied before AOC interrupted.
Ocasio-Cortez falsely pointed out that the San Bernadino and Orlando Pulse shootings were “charged as domestic terrorist incidents.”
“So, because the perpetrator was Muslim they’re — doesn’t it seem that because the perpetrator is Muslim that the designation would say it’s a foreign organization?” asked the socialist congresswoman.
“No, that is not correct, that is not correct,” said McGarrity. He explained that the law doesn’t discriminate between religions. He also described how the FBI identifies those who are radicalized by the global Jihad as foreign terrorists.
“Some of the definitions I think we’re using,” he added, “we’re talking past each other.”
Clearly.
The following day, realizing that her ignorance was once again showing for all the world to see, she figured a tweet was called for … yes, that’s it … a clever tweet that says she was being nice and “generous” with the G-man and that white supremacists and neo-Nazis are getting off the hook. And how about a little blurb too that says “I was right.” Great … hit that “send” button.
This hearing was wild.
First the FBI witness tried to say I was wrong. I tried to be generous + give benefit of doubt, but then we checked. I wasn’t.
Violence by Muslims is routinely treated as “terrorism,” White Supremacist violence isn’t.
Neo-Nazis are getting off the hook. https://t.co/RCjp4687by
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 5, 2019
Video by C-SPAN
FBI Asst. Director of Counterterrorism Michael McGarrity has to repeatedly explain to Ocasio-Cortez that domestic terrorists are not charged with domestic terrorism because no domestic terrorist statute exists
AOC, who is a *lawmaker*, does not understand what that means
THREAD pic.twitter.com/d8vnThXJW0
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) June 7, 2019
Some Republicans need to Kick AOC under the Table ,Her Needle Seems to be Stuck on Stupid as She’s “QUESTIONING” FBI Assistant Director for Counterterrorism Michael McGarrity. HE reads the Transcript of the report Charging Hate Crime to AME Shooter Dylan Roof but Can’t break thru
— archey tovalski (@ATovalski) June 7, 2019
Finally, the puzzled congress lady asks the FBI man why Congress has not legislated a law that would address her concerns …
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez questioned Michael McGarrity, the FBI’s assistant director of counterterrorism, about why there’s no federal law that designates certain crimes as domestic terrorism. pic.twitter.com/RAtkCqVahK
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) June 5, 2019
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