Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded Friday to criticism following the circulation of a high school yearbook photo that calls into question her longstanding claims of growing up in the Bronx, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.
The controversy began after Ocasio-Cortez referred to herself as a “Bronx girl” in a post on X while taking aim at President Donald Trump.
In the post, she said she could “eat Queens boys like Trump for breakfast.”
Also, I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 24, 2025
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That comment prompted Republican New York State Assemblyman Matt Slater to challenge her Bronx identity by sharing a yearbook photo from her freshman year at Yorktown High School, located in Westchester County.
“If you’re a BX girl then why are you in my Yorktown yearbook? Give it up already,” Slater posted on X, referring to the 2007 yearbook for Yorktown High School, located nearly an hour north of the Bronx.
@AOC if you’re a BX girl then why are you in my Yorktown yearbook? Give it up already. https://t.co/2GpPoiypUf pic.twitter.com/le9C7x1as1
— Matt Slater (@slater4ny) June 24, 2025
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The post quickly gained attention and revived questions about Ocasio-Cortez’s background and the accuracy of her public statements about her upbringing.
The yearbook image is not the first time Ocasio-Cortez has faced scrutiny over her biography.
In 2018, during her first run for Congress, multiple reports—including one by The Gateway Pundit—highlighted her upbringing in the affluent Westchester suburbs after her early childhood years in the Bronx.
On Friday, Ocasio-Cortez issued a response on X, standing by her personal history.
“I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time!” she wrote.
“My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep. Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!”
I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time!
My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep.
Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today! https://t.co/YKfae0x1Om
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 27, 2025
The congresswoman’s response has not deterred critics, who argue that her claims of a tough Bronx upbringing are inconsistent with her actual residential history.
According to public records and past reporting, Ocasio-Cortez moved from the Bronx to Yorktown Heights with her family when she was a child and remained there through high school.
Slater’s post has drawn renewed attention to what critics call a pattern of narrative embellishment surrounding Ocasio-Cortez’s political persona. The congresswoman represents New York’s 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens.
Ocasio-Cortez has not directly addressed Slater’s post beyond her Friday remarks on X.
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