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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot?

By Lisa Freedland
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NO

In mid-January, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested that her life had been in danger during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, stating:

“I had a pretty traumatizing event happen to me...and I do not know if I can even disclose the full details...due to security concerns but I can tell you...I had a very close encounter where I thought I was going to die.”

In February, she clarified that when the riot began she was in her office, in a building near the Capitol that was not attacked. She recounted hearing banging on her door and a man yelling, “Where is she?” Initially fearful the man was a rioter, she later discovered he was a police officer.

In August, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, who routinely receives death threats, told CNN she had feared being raped during the riot. She had previously stated she was a survivor of sexual assault.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Jan. 12 Instagram post
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Feb. 1 Instagram post
Independent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez receives so many death threats her staff performs visitor risk assessments
CNN Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reveals she feared being raped during Capitol insurrection
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.