HIDE WHEN THEY GET INTO THIS
OFFICE.
>> AND CONGRESSWOMAN KATIE
PORTER IS BACK WITH US.
AND I JUST WANT TO LISTEN TO A
BIT MORE OF WHAT CONGRESSWOMAN
OCASIO-CORTEZ SAYS ABOUT WHAT IT
FELT LIKE WHEN SHE FINALLY DID
CHOOSE HER HIDING PLACE.
LET’S LISTEN TO THIS.
>> I HIDE BACK IN IN THE
BATHROOM BEHIND THE DOOR, AND THEN I JUST START TO HEAR THESE
THEN I JUST START TO HEAR THESE
YELLS OF, "WHERE IS SHE?
WHERE IS SHE?"
AND I JUST THOUGHT TO MYSELF,
THEY GOT INSIDE.
IT FELT LIKE MY BRAIN WAS ABLE
TO HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS IN THAT
MOMENT BETWEEN THESE SCREAMS AND
THESE YELLS OF "WHERE IS SHE? WHERE IS SHE?"
WHERE IS SHE?"
AND SO I GO DOWN AND I JUST -- I
MEAN, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO
DIE.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN PORTER, WHAT
WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU, AND DID
YOU KNOW JUST HOW DEEP
CONGRESSWOMAN OCASIO-CORTEZ’S
FEARS WERE AT THAT TIME?
>> WELL, FIRST, YOU KNOW, SHE
SAW ME AND WE WAVED.
I WENT INTO MY OFFICE.
A COUPLE SECONDS LATER SHE
KNOCKED AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW,
COULD WE COME IN?
I SAID, OF COURSE.
AND SHE BEGAN TO -- HER STAFFER
WAS TRYING TO DESCRIBE WHAT HAD
HAPPENED.
AND ALEX IS REALLY USUALLY,
LIKE, UNFAILINGLY POLITE AND
VERY PERSONABLE AND SHE WASN’T
EVEN REALLY TALKING TO ME.
SHE WAS OPENING UP DOORS AND I
WAS LIKE, CAN I HELP YOU?
LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
AND SHE SAID, I’M LOOKING FOR
WHERE I’M GOING TO HIDE.
AND THE THING THAT WILL ALWAYS
STAY WITH ME, THE TWO MEMORIES
THAT REALLY, YOU KNOW,
ESPECIALLY AS A MOM, I THINK
WERE JUST REALLY POWERFUL FOR
ME, WAS WHEN SHE SAID, YOU
KNOW -- I WAS SAYING, DON’T
WORRY, I’M ALE NO, I’M CALM, MOM
WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE CAN LIVE
WITH IN THIS OFFICE.
SHE SAID, I HOPE I GET TO BE A
MOM, I HOPE I DON’T DIE TODAY.
THE SECOND THING IS SHE WAS
WEARING HEELS AND I REMEMBER HER
SAYING TO ME -- I WAS WEARING
FLATS.
I REMEMBER HER SAYING TO ME, I
KNEW I SHOULDN’T HAVE WORN
HEELS.
HOW AM I GOING TO RUN?
AND WE WENT AND WE FOUND HER A
PAIR OF SNEAKERS TO WEAR FROM
ONE OF MY STAFFERS SO THAT SHE
COULD RUN IF SHE NEEDED TO
LITERALLY RUN FOR HER LIFE.
>> HOW LONG DID THE FEAR OF
LOSING LIFE HOLD IN THAT ROOM
WHILE YOU WERE WAITING?
>> ABOUT SIX HOURS.
THERE WAS NO COMMUNICATION ABOUT
WHAT TO DO.
NO ONE CAME TO CHECK ON US.
THE CAPITOL POLICE NEVER
ACCOUNTED FOR EVERY MEMBER’S
SAFETY.
SO WE HEARD VOICES IN THE
HALLWAY.
WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE,
WHETHER THOSE WERE POLICE
OFFICERS, WHETHER THOSE WERE
INTRUDERS.
AND SO WE JUST -- WE STAYED
DARK.
WE SHUT THE WINDOWS, THE
CURTAINS.
WE TURNED OUR PHONES OFF.
WE SILENCED EVERYTHING AND WE
JUST SAT, YOU KNOW, AND STILL
AND AS QUIET AS WE COULD BE AND
THE HOPE THAT THEY WOULD JUST
RUN ON BY.
>> WHY WAS IT YOUR OFFICE?
IS YOUR OFFICE CLOSE TO HER
OFFICE?
>> WHEN THEY EVACUATED THE
CANNON OFFICE BUILDING, THEY DID
NOT PROVIDE ANYWHERE OR ANY
DIRECTION FOR THOSE MEMBERS TO
GO SHELTER.
THEY TOLD THEM THAT THERE WAS A
BOMB THREAT, THAT THEY NEEDED TO
IMMEDIATELY EVACUATE THEIR
OFFICES.
BUT THEY DIDN’T TELL THEM WHERE
THEY COULD GO TO BE SAFE.
AND SO IN ADDITION TO SHELTERING
ALEXANDRIA, WE ALSO HAD A
STAFFER, A FRIEND OF MINE’S
CHIEF, WHO HAD BEEN THROWN OUT
OF THEIR OFFICE IN CANNON AND
DIDN’T KNOW WHERE THEY COULD GO
TO BE SAFE.
AND SO WE OBVIOUSLY LET HER COME
IN, TOO.
WE WERE WILLING TO LET ANYONE