Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has incorrectly asserted that Republicans in Congress amended the Constitution to kick President Franklin Delano Roosevelt out of office.
'They had to amend the Constitution of the United States to make sure Roosevelt did not get reelected,' Ocasio-Cortez said Friday during a night hall event with MSNBC with Chris Hayes.
Ocasio-Cortez was referring to the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution which passed in 1947.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) incorrectly claimed Constitution of the United States was altered to make sure Roosevelt did not get re-elected
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) was the 32nd President Of The United States. He is pictured here with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. He was re-elected four times
It wasn't long before social media was making fun of Ocasio-Cortez' perceived lack of history
Twitter users were quick to point out that the Constitution was not amended to prevent FDR from winning re-election because it happened two years after his death
According to AOC, Congress amended the Constitution to prevent FDR from being re-elected:
"They had to amend the Constitution of the United States to make sure Roosevelt dd not get reelected."
(Reminder, FDR died in office in 1945; the 22nd Amendment came in 1947)
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The text of the amendment states, 'No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.'
However, FDR, served for 12 years as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945.
The amendment for the implementation of presidential term limits was made two years after FDR died and was ratified in 1951.
While it was most likely a rebuke of FDR for his decision to ignore the two-term precedent set by George Washington, it could not have prevented him from running again.
'They had to amend the Constitution of the United States to make sure Roosevelt did not get reelected,' Ocasio-Cortez said Friday during a night hall event with MSNBC with Chris Hayes
FDR was elected president four times and died in April 1945, less than three months into his fourth term. The law imposing a maximum of two-term limits wasn't drawn up until 1947
Some people came to Ocasio-Cortez defense but there were plenty who were unforgiving
Prior to the 1940 presidential election in which FDR won his third election, no American had ever been elected president more than two times. But because presidents were not subjected to term limits, FDR's third and fourth elections were completely within the bounds of the law.
People on social media both criticized and supported the New York senator.
'Omg she meant as a result of, not in order to limit him. Jeezus Christ you people hate her,' wrote one person who sprung to her defense.
'Epic fail. Hilarious that you say people don't know history when you don't know that FDR was elected FOUR times (1932, 1936, 1940 & 1944). The 22nd amendment wasn't even drafted until 1947, nearly 2 years after his death. It was not done to keep him from being elected again.' wrote another Twitter user, keen to display facts.
Ocasio-Cortez has been questioned over statements she has publicly in the past.
Last year she In December of last year she claimed Medicare for All could be funded from the accounting errors made by the Pentagon.
'$21 TRILLION of Pentagon financial transactions 'could not be traced, documented, or explained.'
'That means 66% of Medicare for All could have been funded already by the Pentagon. And that’s before our premiums.' she tweeted.
However, it turns out the figure was misleading and the $21 trillion sum was simply the amount of the adjustments made to the Pentagon’s financial records over a 17-year period that could not be traced, rather than any savings that had been made, according to the New York Times fact checkers.
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