Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezHouse passes bill to avert shutdown Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' The Memo: Dems face balancing act on SCOTUS fight MORE (D-N.Y.) says that she quickly responds to attacks she receives on social media because of the "bad-faith" charges once leveled at individuals like former President Obama.

"I grew up seeing these attacks on [Speaker] Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiPelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare House lawmakers reach deal to avert shutdown Centrist Democrats 'strongly considering' discharge petition on GOP PPP bill MORE. I grew up with these attacks on Barrack Obama. I grew up even with these bad-faith attacks on Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE," the freshman congresswoman said in an interview with Spectrum News NY1 released on Monday. "And so we know what’s going and I feel like what I’ve chosen to do is break this fourth wall a little bit and respond to them."

Ocasio-Corteaz justified her argument by pointing to the "birther movement" that started as Obama became president.

Why does @AOC respond to personal attacks on social media? She tells @errollouis that she wanted to "break this fourth wall a little bit" after seeing conspiracy theories that were ignored by politicians start to grow legs. #NY1Politics https://t.co/LpkXwpZ59o pic.twitter.com/q34ynnKXVO — Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) March 4, 2019

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"They were ignored because it was beneath the president to respond to these things," she said. "Then they started to grow and as we say grow legs and start walking around."

"I think that sometimes we have to take a little bit of a different tact and squash it early and respond to them and be unafraid to say you sound ridiculous."

Ocasio-Cortez, 29, became the youngest woman elected to Congress after a surprise Democratic primary victory in last year's midterm elections. She is considered to be a rising star in the party and has been outspoken about a range of matters since being sworn in to the lower chamber.

She's gained lots attention from both supporters and opponents, and has gotten in multiple feuds with GOP lawmakers, including President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE. The congresswoman regularly responds to critics on Twitter, a platform where she's amassed more than three million followers.

She said in a New Yorker interview published Monday that she thinks "the idea that a woman can be as powerful as a man is something that our society can’t deal with."

"But I am as powerful as a man and it drives them crazy,” Ocasio-Cortez said.