Ocasio-Cortez draws conservative backlash after Alabama speech urging northerners to 'pull up'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., drew sharp criticism from southern conservatives after a speech last week in Montgomery, Alabama, in which she urged northern progressives to "pull up to the South."

Speaking at the "All Roads Lead to The South" rally on May 16, the congresswoman said the United States was not a true democracy until the 1960s, when the Voting Rights Act passed. She also accused the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts of contributing to "a long history of regression and repression in America."

Ocasio-Cortez called on people from outside the region to travel to Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi to confront what she described as political injustice. After the event she repeated the message on social media, writing, "If you're not from these states, it's time to pull up."

Conservatives quickly condemned the remarks. Many noted the contrast between her call to action and the bulletproof glass that shielded her during the speech. Conservative podcaster Todd Spears posted a TikTok video that received one million views. In it he asked what northern visitors were supposed to do in the South and said, "You come down here starting that s---, you better bring a tank."

Spears added in the caption that Ocasio-Cortez's suggestion that the North should "roll up" on the South as if it were still the 1860s was "wild." He said politicians should focus on fixing existing problems rather than dividing Americans.

Another TikTok creator, Kei Bennett, whose video drew more than 800,000 views, warned Ocasio-Cortez supporters against following her advice. Bennett listed local hazards including wild hogs and alligators and said residents "will not hesitate to unite and get you the f--- up out of here." He added that "down here in the South we don't call cops, we call coroners" and told outsiders to stay away.