AOC does not hold back and openly calls Donald Trump a rapist as Epstein files spark nationwide outrage
Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez didn’t hold back on Friday, openly calling Donald Trump a “rapist” while slamming him over what she framed as a botched handling of the long-awaited files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Wow who would have thought that electing a rapist would have complicated the release of the Epstein Files?” the New York congresswoman posted on X, taking a direct jab at Trump as tensions rose within the MAGA base.
Wow who would have thought that electing a rapist would have complicated the release of the Epstein Files?
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 11, 2025
The backlash against Trump has been loud — and coming from his own supporters — following the official statement from his administration that there was no Epstein client list and no evidence Epstein was murdered. Both claims directly contradicted long-standing MAGA-driven conspiracy theories, which had hoped the documents would expose high-profile names or uncover foul play.
Ocasio-Cortez doubled down in a second post Friday, sharing a WIRED investigation suggesting the DOJ’s so-called “full raw” surveillance footage from Epstein’s prison cell had actually been modified before being released. The department’s goal was to finally silence the theories surrounding Epstein’s controversial death, which was officially ruled a suicide in August 2019 — but the release has only reignited public doubt.
Earlier in the week, Trump seemed dismissive of renewed media scrutiny when a reporter asked about the Epstein case during a Cabinet meeting. “Are you still talking about Jeffery Epstein?” he said. “This guy’s been talked about for years.”
“We have Texas, we have this, we have all of the things, and are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable,” Trump added, brushing aside the topic. Meanwhile, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung launched a personal attack on Ocasio-Cortez in a statement to The Daily Beast, mocking both her persona and her mental fitness.
“AOC likes to play pretend like she’s from the block, but in reality she’s just a sad, miserable blockhead who is trying to overcompensate for her lack of self-confidence that has followed her for her entire life,” Cheung said. “Instead, she should get some serious help for her obvious and severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted her pea-sized brain.” This isn’t the first time Trump has targeted AOC personally. Just last month, he labeled her “stupid AOC” and “the dumbest member of Congress,” further escalating their ongoing political feud.
AOC’s accusation on social media comes in the shadow of Trump’s civil sexual abuse liability, after a Manhattan jury found him responsible for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll. The verdict resulted in a $5 million award to Carroll, though it did not meet the narrow legal definition of rape under New York’s penal code — which specifically requires nonconsensual penile penetration.
Nevertheless, the language around the case has remained a point of contention. In a 2024 defamation lawsuit settlement, Trump received $15 million from ABC News after anchor George Stephanopoulos incorrectly stated on-air that Trump had been found liable for “rape.”
But during the appeal process, the presiding judge clarified that the jury’s findings still supported the general understanding of rape. “The finding that Ms. Carroll failed to prove that she was ‘raped’ within the meaning of the New York Penal Law does not mean that she failed to prove that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape,’” Judge Lewis A. Kaplan wrote in July 2023. And AOC has echoed that view publicly before. Speaking at a rally in April, she declared, “If Donald Trump wants to find the rapists and criminals in this country, he needs to look in a mirror.”
Trump’s long-documented history with Jeffrey Epstein has also resurfaced amid the renewed controversy. The two were frequently photographed together in the 1990s, and while Trump has repeatedly denied flying on Epstein’s private jet or visiting his island, those denials have done little to quiet speculation. In 2024, The Daily Beast published exclusive audio recordings from 2017 in which Epstein described Trump as his “closest friend,” further stoking the public’s interest and concern over their past relationship.
Epstein died in federal custody on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors. His death at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York triggered widespread outrage, spawning years of debate over whether it was truly a suicide — a question that still haunts public discourse.
