When she’s not campaigning for drug research, making passionate speeches about the climate crisis, or beautifully roasting Mark Zuckerberg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez enjoys spending her time at drag shows.
After taking the mic at ‘cabaret extravaganza’ Bartschland Follies in July – to tell the crowd they’re special and beautiful – yesterday AOC attended RuPaul’s Drag Race star Sasha Velour’s drag night, Smoke & Mirrors in Washington. After the show, the ninth season winner shared a video of the pair backstage, in which the congresswoman channels her inner Lady Gaga.
“Tonight THE most honoured special guest came to see ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ in Washington DC,” Velour wrote. “The audience gave her a standing ovation too!”
In the video, AOC can be seen discussing the show. She says: “I thought it was amazing, it was incredible, it was fabulous. I’m like that Lady Gaga moment when she’s like ‘stunning, amazing, impeccable, genius’.”
AOC is referencing the Hollywood Reporter clip-turned-meme which sees Gaga describing American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy as “talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it”.
At the end of Velour’s video, the drag star says to the camera, “can you believe? From the revolutionary of our time”, before turning to AOC and exclaiming: “I love you so much, thank you for being here.”
Look back at our interview with Sasha Velour here.