Cuomo Fact Checks AOC Over Wild Claims

NewsNation host Chris Cuomo confronted Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York over her social media statements criticizing Israel’s use of exploding pagers to target Hezbollah terrorists.

Following Israel’s operations targeting Hezbollah officials with rigged pagers and detonated walkie-talkies, Cuomo took issue with Ocasio-Cortez’s claim that Israel committed a “war crime.” He said on air, “She [Ocasio-Cortez] started by accusing Israel of a war crime for what they did to members of Hezbollah in Beirut, and then, asking for an investigation, accused them of a war crime.”

Cuomo quoted her post, saying, “‘This attack clearly unequivocally violates international humanitarian law, undermines U.S. efforts to prevent a wider conflict.’ And then she said it violates U.S. policy. Clearly. Israel is not one of the United States, so they don’t follow our laws or rules. Second, if the representative was suggesting by that comparison that the United States should therefore not support Israel, good luck with that.”

Shoot aim fire⁰Why did AOC blame Israel for attacking terrorists that are sworn to their destruction? We are on the brink of war and you need to know where people stand. pic.twitter.com/Gpn7KssQlk

— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) September 20, 2024

He added, “This is why you don’t accuse and then go in search of a crime,” emphasizing her mischaracterization of the situation.

Cuomo also pointed out that Ocasio-Cortez referenced a Department of Defense manual but neglected important context. “Here’s the part that she left out, oddly, the next section after the one she cited, ‘The use of mines, booby traps, other devices is subject to the same rules and principles that govern the use of other weapons to conduct attacks,’” he read from the manual. “Indiscriminate. What does that mean? It means at all feasible precautions shall be taken to prevent civilians from the effects of mines, booby traps and other devices.”

He explained that the manual specifies conditions under which booby traps are not prohibited, stating, “It would not be prohibited to improvise a booby trap, for example, to retard an enemy advance.” Cuomo questioned whether Ocasio-Cortez had overlooked this information or deliberately misrepresented it.

Cuomo also addressed the reported vandalism of Ocasio-Cortez’s office, noting her lack of response to threats against Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and the assassination attempts against former President Trump. “She had nothing to say about her colleague Anna Paulina Luna when that’s exactly what happened to her,” Cuomo said. “So what do we know? Clearly, she does not value her opponents as humans the way she does herself.”