Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is facing backlash after calling former President Donald Trump “a rapist” in a tweet, in response to the DOJ’s decision not to release more Epstein-related documents. Critics say her statement misrepresents Trump’s civil trial verdict, which found him liable for sexual abuse, not rape, against writer E. Jean Carroll in 2023.

Prominent conservatives, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and legal analyst Phil Holloway, accused Ocasio-Cortez of defamation and urged Trump to sue, drawing parallels to the $15 million settlement Trump received from ABC and George Stephanopoulos over a similar false rape claim aired in 2024.

Trump ally Laura Loomer and others joined the call for legal action, while Trump’s spokesperson dismissed Ocasio-Cortez as having “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and mocked her intelligence.

The situation echoes a 2024 Stephanopoulos interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), where Mace—herself a rape survivor—rebuked Stephanopoulos for his framing of the Trump case, accusing him of shaming her during the interview.

No official word yet on whether Trump will sue.