AOC, Jamaal Bowman seemingly mistake Democratic state legislator for Republican

On Wednesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez scored a viral moment when she questioned a witness during a congressional hearing on asylum-seekers.

The witness, Assembly Member Jaime Williams, joined Republicans in a lawsuit to block a migrant shelter from being constructed on Floyd Bennett Field in southern Brooklyn. Ocasio-Cortez asked, “I didn’t hear in your testimony the alternative sites you’ve advocated for. Could you remind me of which those were?”

“I don’t have a proposal,” Williams admitted.

Ocasio-Cortez proudly tweeted the exchange with the headline: “Republicans have no solutions for immigration.”

Her comrade Rep. Jamaal Bowman quote-tweeted her and added his own message: “DAMN: Watch this Republican learn the #1 rule in American politics: Don’t mess with AOC. Enjoy every second of this. NY Democrats represent!”

The only problem? Williams is not a Republican; she’s a Democratic Assembly member.

Bowman, perhaps realizing his mistake, quickly deleted his tweet. But Ocasio-Cortez has not yet deleted hers.

It’s understandable why Ocasio-Cortez might have thought Williams was a Republican. As City & State previously reported, Williams recently appeared alongside conservative rabble-rouser Curtis Sliwa at a rally against the proposed migrant shelter at Floyd Bennett Field, a federally owned former airfield in her district.

The oversight hearing was held by the House Natural Resources Committee and titled “Destroying America’s Best Idea: Examining the Biden Administration’s Use of National Park Service Lands for Migrant Camps.” In addition to Williams, it featured testimony from New York City Council Member Joann Ariola – who actually is a Republican. Williams and Ariola took pictures with Committee Chair Bruce Westerman of Arkansas and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who is not on the committee, during their visit to Capitol Hill.

Williams did not immediately respond to a request for comment.