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AOC faces backlash from GOP Rep. Nancy Mace, others over Capitol claims
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., faced criticism Wednesday over initial claims she made about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, with many noting she wasn't even inside the Capitol when it happened.
The controversy erupted after Ocasio-Cortez posted a video in which she described a confrontation with Capitol Police at her office, which is located not in the Capitol itself but in the Cannon Building, elsewhere in the Capitol complex.
On Wednesday, she faced a wave of backlash from critics like Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who tweeted that insurrectionists never stormed the hallway that she shares with Ocasio-Cortez.
The hashtag #AlexandriaOcasioSmollett also trended, an apparent comparison to actor Jussie Smollett, who falsely claimed to be the victim of a hate crime. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON OUR TOP STORY.
In other developments:
- Nikki Haley hits AOC for 'dangerous' call to rein in media, says it's a 'clear shot' at non-liberal outlets
- AOC questions if Capitol Police officer tried to put her in a 'vulnerable situation'
- AOC's Ted Cruz tweet sparks growing pushback from House Republicans
- Rep. Burgess Owens rips AOC for invoking 'white supremacist' label to make point about health care
Cheney survives bid to remove her from GOP House leadership role
Embattled U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., didn't apologize for her vote three weeks ago to impeach then-President Trump -- and in the end, she didn't need to.
The House Republican Conference chairwoman on Wednesday night easily survived a push by House GOP Trump loyalists to strip her of the party's No. 3 leadership position.
In a secret ballot vote by the entire House Republican Conference, only 61 members voted against Cheney, with 145 supporting her. House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy was among those urging other Republicans to keep Cheney in her role.
According to multiple sources, McCarthy urged party members to move past Cheney's impeachment vote and stay united in order to take back the House majority in the 2022 midterm elections. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
In other developments:
- Rep. Jim Jordan weighs in on Liz Cheney, Marjorie Taylor Greene controversies
- Rep. Omar fundraising off GOP effort to strip her from committee assignments
- Sen. Rick Scott: Marjorie Taylor Greene 'clearly doesn't represent the Republican Party'
- House takes step toward removing Marjorie Taylor Greene from committees
- Hannity: 'Not a single conservative I know' shares Rep. Greene's 'conspiratorial beliefs'
- Romney says GOP must distance from 'wacky weeds' like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
Parler CEO John Matze says he’s been terminated: ‘I did not participate in this decision’
Parler -- the social media platform that is popular with many conservatives -- has terminated CEO John Matze, according to a memo Matze sent to staffers that has been obtained by Fox News.
"On January 29, 2021, the Parler board controlled by Rebekah Mercer decided to immediately terminate my position as CEO of Parler. I did not participate in this decision," Matze wrote. "I understand that those who now control the company have made some communications to employees and other third parties that have unfortunately created confusion and prompted me to make this public statement."
Matze wrote that in recent months he has been met with "constant resistance" to his original vision for the platform following Amazon Web Services' decision to shut Parler down for failure to moderate "egregious content" related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
"Over the past few months, I’ve met constant resistance to my product vision, my strong belief in free speech and my view of how the Parler site should be managed. For example, I advocated for more product stability and what I believe is a more effective approach to content moderation," Matze wrote.
Parler did not immediately respond to a request for comment. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
In other developments:
- Parler CEO barred from platform backend amid Big Tech crackdown: 'We don't have any more access'
- Parler CEO John Matze, family forced into hiding over death threats, security breaches: court filing
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TODAY'S MUST-READS:
- Psaki defends Biden's 'vast majority' are 'decent' comments about FBI agents
- Olympia mayor calls forcible occupation of hotel 'domestic terrorism'
- Tucker Carlson: The powerful are abusing history to get their way -- and Americans will bear the consequences
- Man who wore horns at Capitol lost 20 pounds in custody: lawyer
- Wisconsin middle school apologizes for activity asking students how they’d punish a slave
- Super Bowl ad sees John Travolta showing off his ‘Grease’ dance moves alongside daughter Ella
THE LATEST FROM FOX BUSINESS:
- Hedge fund founder pleads guilty in Neiman Marcus-tied case
- PayPal profit tops estimates amid record online spending
- Dems to introduce plan to erase $50,000 of student debt
- John Matze is out at Parler: ‘I did not participate in this decision’
- Kroger closes 2 Southern California stores rather than give extra $4 'Hero Pay’
- Virgin Hyperloop reveals what 45-minute trip from LA to SF looks like
#The Flashback: CLICK HERE to find out what happened on "This Day in History."
SOME PARTING WORDS
Conservative author and commentator Mark Steyn warned against overt moves to censor conservative speech when he appeared Wednesday night on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight."
"The general climate of free speech in Canada, the United States, the U.K., Australia – pretty much everywhere around the Western world – is worse than it was a decade ago," Steyn said.
"And between this malign alliance – in fact a merger between Big Tech and the state – we are moving into a literally Orwellian world where phrases out of Orwell’s ‘1984’ ... [Orwell] uses the phrase ‘reality control’ ... The New York Times is in favor of establishing a federal agency under the control of a so-called reality czar."
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