AOC Steps In During Shutdown, Critics Call It a ‘Performance’

When the federal government shut down this week, hundreds were affected—including a group of eighth graders from Zeta Charter Schools in the Bronx who had their Capitol tour canceled due to furloughed staff. But New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a self-styled champion of the people, stepped in to fill the gap.

The congresswoman, already scheduled to greet the students, turned their canceled visit into a personal guided tour—complete with cameras rolling. Chaperones praised the experience, calling it even better than expected. “It turned very, very quickly into, actually, a much better experience,” said Dan Rojas, the school’s manager.

Ocasio-Cortez led the group through lesser-known areas of the Capitol, including a women-only reading room, while delivering impromptu lessons about her background and the struggles faced by women in government. She highlighted trailblazers like Shirley Chisholm and Patsy Mink, using each stop to tie historical lessons into modern-day empowerment.

Some students admitted they weren’t familiar with her before the visit but walked away impressed. “It was like seeing America change live,” said 13-year-old Jordan Allen. AOC’s spokesperson said the congresswoman simply wanted the students to feel welcome in “the people’s house.”

But while many of the students left feeling inspired, critics viewed the tour as a political stunt. As thousands of federal employees remained furloughed, Ocasio-Cortez’s Capitol tour played out like a well-timed performance—part civics lesson, part campaign ad, and entirely on brand.