Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is under fire once again—this time for stepping off a private jet on Earth Day while promoting her “Fight the Oligarchy” tour.
Photos and videos circulating online show Ocasio-Cortez alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) disembarking from a luxury Bombardier Challenger, raising eyebrows over the congresswoman’s self-proclaimed environmental credentials and her frequent attacks on the wealthy for using private air travel.
The backlash began after Daniel Turner, founder of Power the Future, posted the footage to X, igniting accusations of hypocrisy.
The Bombardier Challenger private jet costs up to $15,000 per hour to charter. This occurred between campaign stops in Bakersfield and Sacramento, California.
WATCH:
Private jets.
Multiple homes.
Motorcades.The people preaching the loudest about #EarthDay are the biggest hypocrites.
Cc: @AOC, @BernieSanders pic.twitter.com/h6YTvNV8R6
— Daniel Turner (@DanielTurnerPTF) April 22, 2025
“Fight the Oligarchy,” a national campaign tour she launched with Sanders in February, champions policies like Medicare for All, wealth taxes, and campaign finance reform. The tour has drawn massive crowds—36,000 in Los Angeles and 34,000 in Denver—and features appearances from artists such as Neil Young and Joan Baez.
But while the messaging may resonate with progressive voters, the method of travel has opened the door for criticism.
Her past comments only amplify the backlash. In 2023, AOC called out the use of private jets by CEOs, describing it as “insatiable” and “unacceptable.”
This isn’t the first time her travel decisions have sparked debate. In February 2022, she was photographed flying first class on an American Airlines flight from Austin to New York City, prompting questions about whether her personal lifestyle matches her populist rhetoric.
REACTIONS:
One caviar at the time pic.twitter.com/7fu3F8qqAh
— X Citizen Journal (@xcitizenjournal) April 22, 2025
The hypocrisy here is astounding
— Paul A. Szypula
(@Bubblebathgirl) April 22, 2025
Why should we take these people seriously?
— Manly Matters (@manlymatters00) April 22, 2025
Hypocrite’s no doubt
— Danette DuBrul (@dubrul_danette) April 22, 2025
There’s a reason they pay so much for security ! They haven’t figured out they are hated by most !
— Brian kinney (@bkinney67) April 22, 2025