Redeem now - Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is "deeply unwell" Friday.
- Earlier, a 2019 video had resurfaced of Greene taunting her through her office door.
- On Wednesday, Greene hounded AOC through the halls of Congress, screaming about "radical socialism."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is "deeply unwell" after a 2019 video emerged of Greene taunting her through her office mail slot.
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.Ocasio-Cortez made the comments to CNN Friday when asked about another recent incident in which Greene had aggressively pursued her through the halls of Congress and screamed at her about her support for "terrorism" and "radical socialism," according to witnesses.
"This is a woman that's deeply unwell and clearly needs some help," Ocasio-Cortez said. "And her fixation has lasted for several years now."
She added that "the depth of that unwellness" is a concern to other members of Congress, and that the "proper professionals" need to make the assessment. Earlier, she had called Greene a "pretty belligerent person" and called for greater civility in Congress.
Greene did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. There are no reports of Greene having any mental health issues.
The video from 2019, made before Greene was a member of Congress, had been deleted but was unearthed and shared by CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski on Friday.
Cellphone footage broadcast on Facebook live shows Greene and several companions outside Ocasio-Cortez' office. "We're going to go see — we're going to visit Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Crazy eyes. Crazy eyes. Nutty. Cortez," says Greene.
Finding the door locked, Greene taunts the New York progressive through the letterbox, calling her a "baby" who needs to "get rid of your diaper and come out and be able to talk to the American citizens."
She and her followers then go on to write "traitor" and draw a border wall in Ocasio-Cortez' guest book.
Kaczynski posted the video to Twitter here:
—andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) May 14, 2021Greene was asked about the video Friday in an interview with Newsmax's Greg Kelly, who said to her it was "no big deal, quite frankly. It's a free country, you were expressing yourself."
Greene agreed, saying she had been engaging in some "citizen lobbying."
"We're the American people, we're the taxpayers, we should be able to go talk to members of Congress," she said. She said that she had talked through the mail slot because the office was locked.
"This is her pattern, she doesn't talk to anyone, she just hides in her office all day long and refuses to explain her policy," said Greene.
Greene's meteoric rise from ultra-conservative rightwing activist to member of Congress has been powered by an outspoken stance against Democratic progressives like Ocasio-Cortez, as Insider's David Levinthal has reported. The 2019 video shows how far back that animosity runs.
In response to the video, Ocasio-Cortez criticized House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, in a tweet, for trying to protect Greene.
—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 14, 2021
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