Politics
AOC mocked for ‘word-salad’ response on owning non-union Tesla
By CM Chaney · September 25, 2023
In brief…
- AOC was questioned on CBS's "Face The Nation" about why she still owns a Tesla despite her past crticisms of the company and Elon Musk.
- She gave a confusing explanation about buying it during the pandemic before vaccines were available.
- Viewers mocked her explanation as a nonsensical "word salad."
![](https://lightwavereports.com/media/pages/viewers-mock-aoc-s-word-salad-response-on-tesla-ownership/02cf784ca4-1712425804/alexandria_ocasio-cortez.jpg)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was challenged on CBS’s “Face the Nation” about why she still owns a Tesla despite previously saying she wanted to switch to an electric vehicle made by a unionized company.
“Is it a problem with the quality? Is it a problem with the style? Is the market just not there?” host Margaret Brennan asked.
“No. Look, our car was purchased during the pandemic before a vaccine had come out, so travel between New York and Washington - the safest way we had determined was an EV.” a seemingly stumped Ocasio-Cortez said. “But that was prior to some of the new models coming out on the market that had the range available. But we’re actually looking into trading in our car now, and hopefully we will soon.”
Viewers expressed confusion on social media over Ocasio-Cortez’s cryptic, meandering explanation.
Some accused her of making a “word salad,” while others joked that she claimed to have bought the Tesla because a vaccine was not yet available.
Ocasio-Cortez’s Tesla ownership first came to light in 2021 when her car was seen parked illegally behind a Whole Foods store in DC.
She had previously criticized Tesla for the subsidies it received, saying the public deserved a return on its investment in new technologies.
She also engaged in an odd Twitter spat with Tesla CEO Elon Musk after criticizing his control over the platform.