Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in September 2024. When a car battery died near the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 11, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stepped in to help—jumpstarting the vehicle of Evan Hollander, an aide to Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.). Her chief of staff, Mike Casca, shared a photo of AOC under the hood, joking,

“When your car battery expires on the Capitol plaza, instead of calling AAA you just need @AOC.” The post quickly went viral. Supporters praised her hands-on effort, calling her faster than AAA.