When Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez publicly called Donald Trump a “rapist,” she didn’t just escalate the rhetoric; she may have handed him a legal opening he’s already proven willing and able to exploit. Courts have never found Trump liable for rape. In the E. Jean Carroll case, the jury found him liable for sexual abuse, not rape, under New York’s narrow statutory definition. That difference is not semantic — it is precisely what turned George Stephanopoulos’ on-air misstatement into a multimillion‑dollar problem ABC rushed to settle.
For a sitting member of Congress, the stakes are even higher. Her words carry institutional authority, and the tweet reads not like opinion, but as a flat assertion of fact directly contradicting the court record. If Trump sues, he will walk in pointing to a fresh, expensive precedent and a clear, documented correction history. In an age where outrage is effortless and precision is rare, this episode is a stark warning: the law still cares about the exact words you choose, even when Twitter doesn’t.
