Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) railed against Politico on Tuesday, rebuking an article the news outlet published about her that did not include any named sources as mere "gossip."
She wrote on Twitter: "One disappointment about DC is the gossip that masquerades as 'reporting.' This story has: - Not a SINGLE named or verifiable source - Only ONE on-the-record comment, which is a denial."
"My dad had a name for junk articles like this: 'Birdcage lining,'" she added.
The tweet was attached to a Politico story titled, "Ocasio-Cortez weighs a new primary target: Hakeem Jeffries."
Ocasio-Cortez's tweet was shared by Donald Trump, Jr., who is the president's eldest son.
"Welcome to our world... You think that's bad?" he asked in a tweet. "Imagine what it's like when they actually hate you."
Politico's vice president of marketing and communications, Brad Dayspring, told Fox News that "it's hard to know what the criticism of the piece is, since the congresswoman-elect doesn't specify (nor has she or anyone from her staff asked for a correction). We stand by our reporting."
The article, citing anonymous sources, reported that the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist from New York "has recruited an African-American woman to challenge Jeffries, who was just elected . . . as caucus chairman — the No. 5 House Democratic leadership position." It also claimed that Jeffries was seen as too conservative for progressive advocacy group Justice Democrats, which is allied with Ocasio-Cortez, because he "takes too much money from corporate interests" and "is overly friendly with banking and pro-charter school interests."
Jeffries responded to the news of the possible 2020 challenge by telling Politico, "It's a free country, and democracy is a beautiful thing."
Ocasio-Cortez was elected during November's midterm elections, when the Democrats seized control of the House of Representatives. The political novice, along with other congressional freshmen in the 116th Congress, will begin her Capitol Hill career on Jan. 3.
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