AOC slams The New York Times for posing Hope Hicks' Congressional subpoena as an 'existential question' rather than her considering committing 'a crime' and for using a 'glamour shot' of the former aide
- New York Democrat hits out at New York Times over story about Hope Hicks
- Hicks is ex-White House communications director who has been called to testify before Congress
- Times story about Hicks says she faces 'existential question' over whether to honor a subpoena
- AOC and others on Twitter blasted the wording, saying a subpoena is a legally binding document
- She also criticized the newspaper for using a 'glamour' shot of Hicks
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has joined scores of Twitter users in blasting The New York Times for using a ‘glamour shot’ of former White House aide Hope Hicks in a news story.
The Democratic congresswoman from New York was reacting on Sunday to a feature story in the Times about the ‘existential question’ of whether Hicks should comply with a subpoena to testify before Congress.
AOC tweeted: ‘What gets me is news breaks that this woman is weighing committing a crime before Congress & it’s getting framed by the NYT as some Lifetime drama called “Hope’s Choice.”
‘This is a [former administration] official considering participating in a coverup led by the President.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic congresswoman from New York, slammed The New York Times on Sunday for what she believes was a sympathetic portrait of a former Trump official
The Times on Sunday posted a story about Hope Hicks, the former White House communications director. Its lede described the 'existential question' of whether Hicks should comply with a congressional subpoena
AOC tweeted: ‘What gets me is news breaks that this woman is weighing committing a crime before Congress & it’s getting framed by the NYT as some Lifetime drama called “Hope’s Choice.”'
‘Treat her equally.’
She also pointed out the unfairness that 'In the immediate aftermath of shootings, media routinely post menacing photos of people-of-color victims + dredge up any questionable thing they’d ever done. But when Hope Hicks considers not complying w a subpoena, it’s glamour shot time. '
Congressional subpoenas are legally binding, and those who do not honor them face penalties, including possible fines or being held in contempt.
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday subpoenaed Hicks, the former White House communications director, and another former Trump staffer, Annie Donaldson, to appear before the panel and give testimony.
Hicks and Donaldson, who was chief of staff to former White House counsel Don McGahn, are required to produce documents as well as appear before the committee to give statements under oath.
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday subpoenaed Hicks (left), the former White House communications director, and another former Trump staffer, Annie Donaldson (right), to appear before the panel and give testimony
Donaldson was chief of staff to former White House Counsel Don McGahn (left), who himself defied a congressional subpoena earlier this week
McGahn, who is a key player in the report issued by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into alleged meddling by Russia in the 2016 elections, declined to appear last week before the committee despite a subpoena.
Democrats are likely eager to hear from former Trump staffers in order to get on-the-record statements about President Trump’s alleged obstruction of justice during the Russia investigation.
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The president has denied any wrongdoing. Mueller’s report lists instances in which Trump is alleged to have attempted to impede the investigation.
Twitter users were furious with the Times and its White House reporter, Maggie Haberman, who wrote the story about Hicks and her ‘existential question.’
Haberman was mocked for using the term ‘existential’. She was also blamed for the photograph of Hicks that was used for the story.
AOC joined other Twitter users who blasted the Times and its White House correspondent, Maggie Haberman (above), for the wording she used in her story
Haberman was also blamed for the picture, which shows a well-styled Hicks in the White House last year wearing makeup, lipstick, and eye shadow. Her hair is combed back into a bun. At the moment the photo is taken, a pensive Hicks is looking down toward the floor as if in deep thought. It does not appear that Hicks knew she was being photographed
While Twitter users said it was a ‘glamour shot,’ in reality the photo of Hicks, a former model, was snapped while she was working at the White House in February 2018.
The picture shows a well-styled Hicks wearing makeup, lipstick, and eye shadow. Her hair is combed back into a bun.
At the moment the photo is taken, a pensive Hicks is looking down toward the floor as if in deep thought.
It does not appear that Hicks knew she was being photographed.
Nonetheless, social media users slammed the Times, saying its use of the photo makes Hicks appear to be a sympathetic figure while downplaying her apparent readiness to break the law by declining to honor a subpoena from Congress.
Walter Shaub, a former top ethics official who resigned from the Trump administration in protest, tweeted: ‘After this photo shoot she's going to have to pay Zoolander royalties for Blue Steel.’
‘Blue steel’ is a reference from the comedy film Zoolander, in which Ben Stiller plays a male model who employs trademarked facial expressions and poses such as ‘Blue Steel’, ‘Ferrari’, and ‘Le Tigra.’
Monica Lewinsky, the former White House intern at the center of the scandal involving then-President Bill Clinton, tweeted a meme of Gary Coleman, the star of the 80s era sitcom Diff’rent Strokes.
‘What’chu talkin’ ‘about, Willis?’ Coleman says. It is his trademark expression on the show.
Ava DuVernay, the acclaimed filmmaker, tweeted the meme of a man blinking as if to express disbelief and shock.
Journalist Brandi Buchman tweeted: ‘This is the dumbest thing I have seen come out of NYT in a minute.
‘You deserve this criticism: existential question, please.
Walter Shaub, a former top ethics official who resigned from the Trump administration in protest, tweeted: ‘After this photo shoot she's going to have to pay Zoolander royalties for Blue Steel.’
Monica Lewinsky, the former White House intern at the center of the scandal involving then-President Bill Clinton, tweeted a meme of Gary Coleman, the star of the 80s era sitcom Diff’rent Strokes. ‘What’chu talkin’ ‘about, Willis?’ Coleman says. It is his trademark expression on the show
Ava DuVernay, the acclaimed filmmaker, tweeted the meme of a man blinking as if to express disbelief and shock
Journalist Brandi Buchman tweeted: ‘This is the dumbest thing I have seen come out of NYT in a minute. You deserve this criticism: existential question, please'
![Ned Pyle tweeted: ‘[Haberman] might as well join the White House communications office. ‘Hope Hicks spent her time covering up crimes & now refuses to comply with the law; you respond with glamour shots & a shoulder to cry on because she was obviously one of your sources & you think will be again.’](http://web.archive.org/web/20190527111755/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/27/04/14000114-7073669-image-a-63_1558928148763.jpg)
![Ned Pyle tweeted: ‘[Haberman] might as well join the White House communications office. ‘Hope Hicks spent her time covering up crimes & now refuses to comply with the law; you respond with glamour shots & a shoulder to cry on because she was obviously one of your sources & you think will be again.’](http://web.archive.org/web/20190527111755im_/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/27/04/14000114-7073669-image-a-63_1558928148763.jpg)
Ned Pyle tweeted: ‘[Haberman] might as well join the White House communications office. ‘Hope Hicks spent her time covering up crimes & now refuses to comply with the law; you respond with glamour shots & a shoulder to cry on because she was obviously one of your sources & you think will be again.’
‘This is a matter of legality. Period.
‘Do not turn the narrative into some B movie melodrama.
‘Saying this as a reporter. This framing turned my stomach.’
Twitter user Will Donnelly tweeted: ‘So for a privileged white person, whether to comply with the law is an existential question.
‘For a black person, not complying with the law is justification for being shot.’
‘Can’t she assert existential privilege?’ quipped Tony Haywood.
The joke is a reference to Trump’s efforts to prevent his aides from testifying about conversations with him by asserting executive privilege.
Executive privilege is claimed by the president for the executive branch of the US government.
It argues that he is entitled to withhold information in the public interest.
Ned Pyle tweeted: ‘[Haberman] might as well join the White House communications office.
‘Hope Hicks spent her time covering up crimes & now refuses to comply with the law; you respond with glamour shots & a shoulder to cry on because she was obviously one of your sources & you think will be again.’
