Democratic New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez decided to ban the media from her latest town hall event with constituents.

Ocasio-Cortez has been conducting a “listening tour” throughout the 14th district to talk with local residents about immigration, healthcare, and various other issues. However, according to the Queens Chronicle, Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign refused to allow any TV or newspaper reporters into her last event in Corona, Queens.

Campaign spokesman Corbin Trent said the ban was the campaign’s response to an incident last week where Ocasio-Cortez met with healthcare activist Ady Barkan, and the two of them were “mobbed” by journalists despite it being a non-Q&A event. Trent told the Chronicle that the ban should be temporary and the campaign is still interested in maintaining an open relationship with local media.

“We wanted to help create a space where community members felt comfortable and open to express themselves without the distraction of cameras and press. These were the first set of events where the press has been excluded,” said Trent. “This is an outlier and will not be the norm. We’re still adjusting our logistics to fit Alexandria’s national profile.”

Critics have taken Ocasio-Cortez to task since she won the Democratic primary, after making embarrassing comments in her recent interviews.

UPDATE 5:28 p.m. ET — Ocasio-Cortez has responded to the outcry, but her statement has left critics scratching their heads. Click here for the latest.

[Image via Getty]

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