Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Is Unafraid to Get Political at the 2021 Met Gala

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Congresswoman for New York's 14th congressional district, made a political statement with her Met Gala gown. Check it out!

By Alyssa Ray Sep 14, 2021 12:26 AMTags
Watch: 2021 Met Gala: By the Numbers

D.C. has arrived in NYC.

On Monday, Sept. 13, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez arrived in her home state for a very special occasion: the 2021 Met Gala. And while this may be Fashion's biggest night, the Congresswoman wasn't afraid to make a political statement with her gown. No, really.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez fit right in among the biggest names in Fashion and Hollywood, as she donned a striking white mermaid-style gown. However, the dress had an important message on the back, which read, "Tax the rich."

Unsurprisingly, Twitter has already reacted strongly to the bold ensemble. Case in point: One social media user commented, "AOC PULLED UP AND REALLY SAID: eat the rich LMAO,"

Another wrote, "aoc wearing the words tax the rich on her dress? simply iconic #MetGala"

Ocasio-Cortez isn't the only public servant to attend the 2021 Met Gala, as Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney also attended the star-studded event. In fact, Rep. Maloney also made a statement with her ensemble, as she wore a headline-making dress that supported the Equal Rights Amendment.

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Stars Getting Ready for the 2021 Met Gala

It makes sense that these political figures made the guest list for the Met Gala since this year's bash is themed, "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion." Not to mention, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez hasn't been afraid to weigh in on fashion debates in the past.

John Shearer/WireImage

Specifically, back in November, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez defended Harry Styles' choice to wear a dress on the cover of Vogue. As E! News readers may recall, Styles received criticism after donning a Gucci gown and blazer for the December issue.

Before long, the politician weighed in on the situation on her Instagram story. "It looks wonderful," she said. "The masculine and feminine elements are balanced beautifully – the hair and jacket styling give me James Dean vibes too."

As she continued, the 31-year-old Congresswoman encouraged those who reacted strongly to the cover to "sit with that reaction and think about it, examine it, explore it, engage it, and grow with it." 

Take a closer look at Ocasio-Cortez's Met Gala look for yourself above.

For more Met Gala coverage, click here.

And visit E! Online's 2023 Met Gala page for every photo and must-see moment from fashion's biggest night.