While AOC was busy barnstorming the country with Bernie Sanders on their “Oligarchy Is Bad (Unless It’s Us)” tour, back in her home district, real people were dealing with real problems. You know, the kind that a congresswoman might want to weigh in on—like an illegal brothel operating out of a bodega near schools in Queens.

A Growing Problem, an Absent Response

You’d think that might get the attention of a U.S. congresswoman. You’d be wrong.

Nicknamed the “bodega brothel” by locals, the establishment was operating on the second floor of a local bodega just off the Roosevelt Avenue strip in Queens, where prostitutes are known for openly soliciting sex on sidewalks, local Democratic district leader Hiram Monserrate told Fox News Digital.

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The bodega is located across the street from two public schools, and students have been forced to walk past the sex workers outside the brothel on their way to and from class for months. An hour before Ocasio-Cortez’s town hall earlier this month, Fox News Digital observed children walking by with their parents as three women stood outside. – Fox News

Instead, AOC—who apparently believes being a social media influencer is a higher calling than being a representative—has been far too busy performing on the national stage to notice the collapse happening in her own backyard. Her district has become a red-light special that matches her signature lipstick. The glam is loud, but the leadership? Still missing in action. As gang activity, human trafficking, and exploitation take root, she’s out collecting headlines and polishing presidential talking points.

Grassroots Response to a Growing Crisis

Ramses Frías, a lifelong Elmhurst resident and Republican candidate for City Council in District 25, was one of the first to sound the alarm. He didn’t wait for permission—he called out the brothels by name, organized protests, and demanded action just steps from public schools. His campaign isn’t built on slogans or social media posturing; it’s rooted in confronting the issues others would rather ignore.

This bodega brothel must be shutdown immediately Located at 8939 Elmhurst ave all local and state politicians repping this area to step up and shut it down @voteshekar @CMFranciscoMoya @jessicaramosqns @RepGraceMeng @AOC votejgr @CatalinaCruzNY @StevenRaga have failed us. pic.twitter.com/3woREXMokL

— Ramses Frias (@ramses4qns) December 11, 2024

The District Took Care of It Without Her

As crime and public safety issues spiraled, it wasn’t congressional leadership leading the charge—it was local figures. Former state senator Hiram Monserrate—yes, even a guy with a felony record—was out there leading protests and demanding crackdowns on trafficking operations tied to gangs like 18th Street and Tren de Aragua. Say what you will about him, but at least he showed up. Meanwhile, AOC couldn’t be bothered to walk the block.

Most recently, Frías took that message national with an appearance on Fox News, bringing broader attention to the brothel crisis and the lawlessness spreading through parts of Queens. He didn’t spin it. He laid it out plainly: the officials tasked with protecting the community have looked the other way. And someone had to speak up.

Community leaders begged Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to help shut down brothels operating in plain sight near schools in her district. They rallied, protested, and even risked physical confrontation. And AOC? She ghosted them.

This isn’t just a zoning issue or a random business violation. We’re talking about a network of illegal brothels, many tied to violent migrant gangs like 18th Street and Tren de Aragua—groups linked to everything from identity theft to gun trafficking. And AOC’s office couldn’t even be bothered to comment.

AOC can find time to fly across the country for speeches. She can tweet about Gaza. She can dream about the White House. But she can’t be bothered to address the safety of her own constituents?

My Take

There was a time AOC branded herself as the scrappy outsider—the bartender who’d shake up the Democratic Party and stand up for the working class. But that version faded fast. These days, she’s just another liberal media fixture chasing clout, flying around with Bernie, and eyeing a presidential run while her own district falls apart. A brothel across from schools didn’t even earn a comment. No appearance. No action. Nothing. She’s not grassroots—she’s all spotlight. And the folks who keep her in office? At this point, they’re just extras in her long audition for something bigger.

If there’s one thing AOC excels at, it’s crafting a sound bite. She’s a headline machine—always ready with a viral clip, a dramatic pause, or a perfectly lit selfie to go with a vague call to “dismantle systems.” But when it comes to the messy, uncomfortable details—like brothels in her own district or gangs trafficking women near schools—she’s nowhere to be found. The deeper the issue, the quieter she gets. She’s mastered the art of soft-pedaling socialist slogans in a way that sounds inspiring but means nothing. It’s all poetic fluff wrapped in moral superiority, designed to distract from the fact that she rarely addresses the actual damage being done in her own backyard.

Feature Image: nrkbeta, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons/edited in Canva Pro