GOP Rep. Scalise: Ocasio-Cortez Should Stand Up to Radicals

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, who was shot and wounded in 2017 by a political opponent, told Fox News on Monday that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y, should "stand up" to some of her more "radical" followers.

Rep. Scalise said he stopped a Twitter debate with Democrat Ocasio-Cortez over her proposal for enacting a tax rate of up to 70 percent on income after several of her supporters made threats against him, referring to the shooting.

Scalise said it was unproductive to engage with her "radical followers" on Twitter, but he would be happy to continue the debate on the House floor.

Scalise said Ocasio-Cortez did not contact him or condemn the statements of her followers.

"I would like to see her stand up to this; everybody ought to stand up to this kind of discussion," Scalise said. "If somebody wants to have a debate about policy, that's what we're all about, what the First Amendment's all about. But you shouldn't threaten people, and if you've got to threaten people to make your point, you've already lost."

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