Ocasio-Cortez bans media from event in her district to avoid 'distraction of cameras and the press

Upon returning to her district after a highly publicized media and campaigning tour across the country, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez apparently needed a break from the media. So, her campaign banned the press from a community event in Corona, New York, according to the Queens Chronicle.

The decision to bar members of the media from the event was an eyebrow-raising move for one of the most recognizable political candidates in the nation at the moment, although her campaign spokesman called it an "outlier."

“We wanted to help create a space where community members felt comfortable and open to express themselves without the distraction of cameras and press. These were the first set of events where the press has been excluded,” spokesman Corbin Trent said. “This is an outlier and will not be the norm. We’re still adjusting our logistics to fit Alexandria’s national profile.”

Too much media coverage?

After Ocasio-Cortez got back to New York from campaigning for other candidates nationwide, she and her campaign found themselves unable to control the amount of media interest she now garnered.

Her campaign manager, Vigie Ramos Rios, told the Queens Chronicle that they were "mobbed" by reporters at a previous event in the Bronx, even though they had told media she would not be doing interviews.

So, the next event on Ocasio-Cortez's "listening tour" was open to the public -- but not the press.

Is that hypocritical?

Asked if it was hypocritical to go on a national media tour and then stonewall the media in the district they're running to represent, Trent didn't answer that question from the Chronicle directly, instead explaining why they went national after her primary victory over incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley.

“After our primary victory, the campaign had what we saw as a unique and limited opportunity for Alexandria to use her elevated platform to speak about issues affecting our district to the national media, and to campaign for other progressive candidates around the country,” Trent said. “By working to get other progressive candidates elected, Alexandria will be securing more national voting power for the people of Queens and the Bronx.”

Ocasio-Cortez, on Twitter, cited concerns for the safety of the attendees.

"This town hall was designed for residents to feel safe discussing sensitive issues in a threatening political time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote.

A Washington Post reporter pointed out that, when she makes it to Washington, D.C., she'll need to get used to the press.

(H/T Hot Air)