(UPDATE: 9/15/2021 AT 8:20 A.M.) – After AOC faced backlash for wearing a ‘Tax the Rich’ dress to an expensive, celebrity-filled event, she defended the decision to attend the event on Instagram. “Before anybody starts wilding out — NYC elected officials who are regularly invited to attend the Met due to our responsibilities in overseeing our city’s cultural institutions that serve the public,” she explained. I was one of several in attendance.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 31, always knows how to make a statement. The Democratic congresswoman attended her first ever Met Gala on Monday (Sept. 13) in a stunning white ballgown by Brother Vellies that had a passionate political slogan written across the back of the dress. The phrase said, “Tax The Rich,” and it was written in bright red ink that certainly couldn’t be missed.
AOC, the Democratic representative from New York’s 14th congressional district, added to her Met Gala look with a pair of red shoes, also from Brother Vellies, and gold hoop earrings. She stopped to show off her attire with Aurora James to speak to Vogue’s livestream co-host Ilana Glazer on the red carpet. “When Aurora and I were first partnered, we really started having a conversation about what it means to be a working class woman of color at the Met,” AOC told Ilana. “We can’t just play along, but we need to break the fourth wall and challenge some of the institutions. While the Met is known for its spectacle, we should have a conversation about it,” the politician added.
AOC has held her political position since 2019. She’s widely popular among Socialist Democrats, while also being a continued target of Republicans. But AOC has never backed down from her opponents, and has memorably fueled with conservatives like Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene before. AOC typically advocates for a more progressive style of government, including Medicare For All, tuition-free colleges, and the Green New Deal.