Democratic candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez takes down conservative TV host who shared picture of her childhood home

'Your attempt to strip me of my family, my story, my home, and my identity is exemplary of how scared you are of the power of all four of those things,' says congressional nominee

Democratic congressional nominee Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hit back at a conservative news host who shared a photo of her childhood home in an attempt to discredit her campaign.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America, used a grassroots campaign to storm to victory against Democrat stalwart Joe Crowley in a New York primary last week.

The unexpected victory of a rising star from the South Bronx thrashing a 10-term representative is seen as symptomatic of a Democratic party in revolt.

John Cardillo, who hosts shows on conservative outlets Newsmax and Rebel TV, shared a photo of Ms Ocasio-Cortez’ childhood home in Yorktown Heights in New York.

He claimed the self-avowed socialist, who volunteered for Bernie Sanders, lived there until going to Brown University.

“This is the Yorktown Heights (very nice area) home @Ocasio2018 grew up in before going off to Ivy League Brown University,” Mr Cardillo tweeted.

He added: “A far cry from the Bronx hood upbringing she’s selling.”

But Ms Ocasio-Cortez – the daughter of a Puerto Rican mother and a Bronx-born father – actually attended Boston University.

She lived in the Bronx's Parkchester apartments before moving to Yorktown Heights at the age of five to go to a better public school than those which were available in the Bronx at the time, according to her campaign website.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez responded to Mr Cardillo's comments in a series of tweets, explaining she did not go to Brown University or any other Ivy League school.

“I went to BU [Boston University]. Try Google,” she tweeted on Sunday afternoon.

“My mom scrubbed toilets so I could live here and I grew up seeing how the zip code one is born in determines much of their opportunity.”

Ms Ocasio-Cortez condemned his efforts to try and undermine her trajectory - saying it showed he was fearful of the power of her background.

“Your attempt to strip me of my family, my story, my home, and my identity is exemplary of how scared you are of the power of all four of those things,” she said.

Mr Cardillo posted a clarification afterwards – admitting he had wrongly identified the university she formerly attended.

After the encounter between the pair, Mr Cardillo invited her to make an appearance on his show.

"I’d love to have @Ocasio2018 as a guest on my show and debate her. Respectful debate. No cutting her off. I’m genuinely curious. Alexandria, will you accept?" he tweeted. At the time of writing she had not replied to his request.

According to her website, Ms Ocasio-Cortez was “born in the Bronx to two working-class parents” and went to public school in Yorktown before going on to study Economics and International Relations at Boston University.

“Much of her life was defined by the 40-minute commute between school and her family in the Bronx. It was clear to her, even then, that the zip code a child was born in determined much of their destiny,” the website read.

“The 40-minute drive represented a vastly different quality of available schooling, economic opportunity, and health outcomes.”

After returning to the Bronx after university, she began work as an educational director, but was forced to take on another job when the economic crisis struck.

She was forced to work 18-hour shifts as a waitress and bartender in order to help her mother, a house cleaner, battle foreclosure after her father, who was a small business owner, died of cancer.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez is running as a Democrat in New York’s 14th Congressional District – which includes the Bronx and Queens – after beating Mr Crowley.