Daijiworld Media Network – New York

New York, Jun 26: The ongoing war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took a personal turn this week, as political identities and high school memories collided on social media.

Following Ocasio-Cortez’s sharp criticism of Trump’s recent military action against Iran — a move she termed “unauthorized” and grounds for impeachment — Trump lashed out on his Truth Social platform, branding her “stupid” and one of the “dumbest people in Congress.” The president also took aim at progressive lawmakers Ilhan Omar and Jasmine Crockett, mocking their qualifications for office.

But it was Ocasio-Cortez’s rebuttal on X, formerly Twitter, that reignited another old debate. Embracing her Bronx heritage with the defiant line, “I’m a Bronx girl who can eat Queens boys for breakfast,” the Congresswoman seemed to play on both geography and grit — a direct nod to Trump’s own upbringing in the neighbouring borough.

Her remark didn’t sit well with New York State Assemblyman Matt Slater, a Republican and fellow alum of Yorktown High School, located nearly an hour north of the Bronx. Posting a 2003 yearbook image that included a young Ocasio-Cortez as a freshman, Slater quipped, “If you’re a BX girl, then why are you in my Yorktown yearbook? Give it up already.”

Speaking to Fox News, Slater accused the Congresswoman of distorting her roots for political gain. “She didn’t grow up in the Bronx, she went to school in Yorktown,” he said. “Let’s end this charade. Be honest with voters — that’s all we’re asking.”

Ocasio-Cortez has previously addressed her dual identity, acknowledging in a 2018 tweet that her mother “scrubbed toilets” so the family could move to Yorktown, a place she described as “a good town for working people.” She maintained that her experience straddling two different worlds — the working-class Bronx and suburban Yorktown — shaped her political outlook and fuels her advocacy.

Now representing New York’s 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of both the Bronx and Queens, Ocasio-Cortez continues to highlight her Bronx roots as central to her public persona. Critics, however, allege that downplaying her suburban upbringing is a calculated move to appeal to urban voters.

While the broader debate continues to simmer over Trump’s Iran policy and the role of Congress in military oversight, it is this blend of personal history and political branding that has captured the spotlight — turning a policy disagreement into a battle of boroughs and yearbooks.