NOTE: VIDEO AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is under fire after referring to President Donald Trump as a “rapist” in a recent social media post—an accusation that some legal experts say could open the door to a defamation lawsuit.
The comment was made Friday on X (formerly Twitter), where the congresswoman wrote:
“Wow who would have thought that electing a rapist would have complicated the release of the Epstein Files.”
The remark, which linked her claim to the federal handling of the sealed Jeffrey Epstein documents, ignited immediate backlash online. Critics swiftly pointed out that Trump has never been convicted of rape or any related criminal offense and warned that the accusation could be legally actionable.
“This is libel and an easily winnable case,” one user responded, while another noted, “You’re a sitting member of Congress with a massive platform. This is reckless and defamatory.” Others pointed to similar cases in which public figures were sued for making such claims without criminal verdicts to back them up.
President Trump, who returned to office following the 2024 election, has consistently denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. While he has faced civil litigation—including a high-profile defamation case involving writer E. Jean Carroll—no court has found him criminally liable for rape.
In the 2023 civil trial brought by Carroll, a New York jury concluded that Trump was not liable for rape under state law, though he was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation. That case remained in the civil sphere and resulted in a monetary judgment, not a criminal conviction.
Despite that, this is not the first time Ocasio-Cortez has made similar statements. In January 2025, just days before President Trump’s second inauguration, she posted a TikTok video declaring she would not attend the event, saying, “I don’t celebrate rapists.”
“Congresswoman, are you going to the inauguration?” she said in the video, mocking repeated media questions. “Let me make myself clear. I don’t celebrate rapists. So no, I’m not going to the inauguration tomorrow.”
While many of her supporters defended her right to free speech, others—including legal analysts—are questioning whether her language crosses into defamation, particularly given her status as a public official with wide influence.
Legal experts note that public figures can still face defamation claims if they knowingly make false statements or act with “actual malice”—a standard established by the Supreme Court for libel cases involving public figures.
As of now, neither Trump nor his legal team has indicated whether they intend to pursue legal action. However, given the high profile of both individuals and the inflammatory nature of the comments, the controversy shows no sign of fading soon.
PLAY:
https://twitter.com/ImMeme0/status/1881157271016878387
