Laura Loomer's snide remark on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's weight gain backfires
American far-right political activist Laura Loomer's snide remark on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's supposed weight gain has not gone down well with a large section of the internet. Loomer, on Sunday, shared an Instagram video that shows Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – also known as AOC – endorsing Zohran Mamdani in the 2025 NYC mayoral primary. The Democrat congresswoman was seen wearing a red dress in the video.
'Yikes. AOC has gained at least 50 pounds since getting into Congress,' Laura Loomer wrote while responding to the video. 'She's getting massive,' Loomer added, tagging AOC in her post.
The comment attracted criticism from hundreds of people. Many called out Laura Loomer for body shaming and asked her to confine her criticism to work, rather than appearance.
Some of the criticism came from supporters of the Republican party, which Loomer also supports.
'Don't do this. Please. Attack her policies and corruption all day. Leave the body shaming alone,' wrote X user Chrissy Casilio, a Republican.
'I am no Democrat but you attacking another woman's look is very disgusting,' another user added. 'I'm a conservative but let's criticize policies and NOT resort to personal petty attacks but that's just my opinion,' a third wrote.
Some of the reactions were less charitable than others.
'You are the last person who should comment on someone's appearance, Looner. You're a walking plastic surgery nightmare,' an X user said.
'This is the sort of petty c**p that makes it hard to take you seriously on anything. Stick to legit criticisms, of that there is plenty, not her weight or figure,' a user said.
Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez is currently serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 14th Congressional District. Laura Loomer, on the other hand, is a far‑right political activist, conspiracy theorist, and MAGA influencer closely aligned with Donald Trump.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
29 minutes ago
- Business Standard
US visas abuse won't be tolerated: US warns Indian students, tourists
The US Embassy in India on Tuesday warned travellers not to misuse their visas, after a video showing an Indian student in handcuffs at Newark Liberty International Airport drew attention online. 'We cannot and will not tolerate illegal entry, abuse of visas, or the violation of US law,' the embassy said. 'Legitimate travellers are welcome. However, there is no 'right' to visit the United States.' The warning followed widespread circulation of a video on social media showing a visibly distressed Indian student being restrained by officials at Newark airport. The clip was shared by Indian-American entrepreneur Kunal Jain, who claimed the student was being deported and 'treated like a criminal.' Jain wrote that the student was in tears and handcuffed before being sent back to India. The Indian Consulate General in New York said it had taken up the matter with authorities. 'We have come across social media posts claiming that an Indian national is facing difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. We are in touch with local authorities in this regard,' the consulate posted on X. The student's identity, visa type, and reason for removal have not been officially disclosed. Tighter immigration rules under Trump The video of the handcuffed Indian student has surfaced at a time when the Trump administration is stepping up immigration enforcement across multiple fronts. In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump has ordered the deportation of thousands of undocumented immigrants. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been conducting large-scale operations, particularly targeting those who have overstayed visas or crossed the border unlawfully. Many of these individuals are being held in detention centres pending removal. On June 8, 2025, Trump approved the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, following days of protests against immigration raids and detention policies. The protests, led by student groups and migrant rights organisations, turned tense after federal agents cracked down on university campuses where demonstrators were calling for a halt to deportations and visa cancellations. The administration has also expanded its list of restricted countries. Nationals from 12 countries—Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen—are currently barred from entering the US. No visas are being issued to individuals from these countries, except in rare humanitarian circumstances. In universities, foreign students have come under heightened scrutiny. Several student visa holders have faced disciplinary action or been placed under investigation following their participation in pro-Palestinian protests on campuses in 2024. The Department of Homeland Security has instructed universities to report any student believed to be involved in activities that could be considered disruptive or linked to political unrest. Indian students in the US have raised concerns about increased visa checks, sudden removals, and surveillance. While no formal policy targeting Indian nationals has been announced, recent cases have contributed to a growing sense of uncertainty among international students. Students from India form one of the largest groups of international students in the United States. In 2024, they accounted for more than 27% of all international enrolments, according to US government data. Indian officials have not confirmed whether the deported student in the video had violated visa rules.
The Hindu
30 minutes ago
- The Hindu
U.S., China say they have agreed on framework to resolve their trade disputes
Senior U.S. and Chinese negotiators have agreed on a framework to get their trade negotiations back on track after a series of disputes that threatened to derail them, both sides have said. The announcement came at the end of two days of talks in the British capital that wrapped up late on Tuesday (June 10, 2025). Editorial: Big deal: On the U.S.-China trade deal The meetings appeared to focus on finding a way to resolve disputes over mineral and technology exports that had shaken a fragile truce on trade reached in Geneva last month. It's not clear whether any progress was made on the more fundamental differences over China's sizeable trade surplus with the United States. 'First we had to get sort of the negativity out and now we can go forward,' U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters after the meetings. Asian stock markets rose on Wednesday (June 11) after the agreement was announced. The talks followed a phone call between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping last week to try to calm the waters. Li Chenggang, a Vice-Minister of Commerce and China's International Trade Representative, said the two sides had agreed in principle on a framework for implementing the consensus reached on the phone call and at the talks on Geneva, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Further details, including any plans for a potential next round of talks, were not immediately available. Mr. Li and Wang Wentao, China's Commerce Minister, were part of the delegation led by Vice-Premier He Lifeng. They met with Mr. Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at Lancaster House, a 200-year-old mansion near Buckingham Palace. Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade negotiator, said the disputes had frittered away 30 of the 90 days the two sides have to try to resolve their disputes. They agreed in Geneva to a 90-day suspension of most of the 100%-plus tariffs they had imposed on each other in an escalating trade war that sparked fears of recession. The World Bank, citing a rise in trade barriers, cut its projections on Tuesday (June 11) for U.S. and global economic growth this year. 'The U.S. and China lost valuable time in restoring their Geneva agreements,' said Ms. Cutler, now vice-president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. 'Now, only sixty days remain to address issues of concern, including unfair trade practices, excess capacity, transshipment and fentanyl.' Since the Geneva talks, the U.S. and China have exchanged angry words over advanced semiconductors that power artificial intelligence, visas for Chinese students at American universities and rare earth minerals that are vital to carmakers and other industries. China, the world's biggest producer of rare earths, has signalled it may speed up the issuing of export licenses for the elements. Beijing, in turn, wants the U.S. to lift restrictions on Chinese access to the technology used to make advanced semiconductors. Mr. Lutnick said that resolving the rare earths issue is a fundamental part of the agreed-upon framework, and that the U.S. will remove measures it had imposed in response. He did not specify which measures. 'When they approve the licenses, then you should expect that our export implementation will come down as well,' he said. Ms. Cutler said it would be unprecedented for the U.S. to negotiate on its export controls, which she described as an irritant that China has been raising for nearly 20 years. 'By doing so, the U.S. has opened a door for China to insist on adding export controls to future negotiating agendas,' she said. In Washington, a federal appeals court agreed on Tuesday (June 10) to let the government keep collecting tariffs that Mr. Trump has imposed not just on China but also on other countries worldwide while the administration appeals a ruling against his signature trade policy. Mr. Trump said earlier that he wants to 'open up China,' the world's dominant manufacturer, to U.S. products. 'If we don't open up China, maybe we won't do anything,' Mr. Trump said at the White House. 'But we want to open up China.'
Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Haryana youth seen handcuffed in Newark airport video had tried to enter US illegally, to be deported
Two days after a video posted on social media showed a young man 'speaking in Haryanvi accent' being manhandled at America's Newark airport – in handcuffs and pinned to the floor – it has been ascertained that the individual belongs to Haryana and had entered the United States illegally. He has since been admitted to a medical facility, as per sources. 'Our Consulate in New York has ascertained that the individual who belongs to Haryana had entered the US illegally without a valid visa and was being deported back to India as per a court order,' said sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday. 'During his transit in Newark, on finding his behaviour not conducive for travel, he was restrained and admitted to a medical facility,' the sources added. A day earlier, the MEA had formally raised the matter with the American Embassy in New Delhi. Meanwhile, the Indian Consulate in New York has also been in touch with the US authorities to determine the details of the incident. 'Once he is fit to travel, the individual will be deported to India,' MEA sources said on Wednesday. Posted on X by Indian-American entrepreneur Kunal Jain, the videos and photographs showed an unidentified young individual handcuffed and crying at the airport on Sunday night. Jain had tagged the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his series of posts. Taking cognisance of the videos, the Indian Consulate in New York said on Monday evening, 'We have come across social media posts claiming that an Indian national is facing difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. We are in touch with local authorities in this regard.' Photographs and video clips shared by Jain show the young man being restrained by officers from the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD), the agency responsible for law enforcement across major transport hubs in New York and New Jersey.
