Eh. Lots of people seem to think so, but if it’s there, it’s mild. She wouldn’t be the first Democrat to start hamhandedly code-switching when addressing a black audience but it’s not like she’s Hillary suddenly turning into Mammy from “Gone With the Wind” here.

I’d say it’s less of a new accent and more of a sing-songiness in her delivery, but that may just be because she’s in speech mode. Normally you see her in more conversational settings, like interviews or chattering to her fans on Instagram, where oratorical flourishes would be odd.

Ocasio-Cortez speaks in an accent that she never uses while telling a room of predominately black people that there is nothing wrong with them folding clothes, cooking, and driving other people around on a bus for a living. pic.twitter.com/FIbIAPokt0

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) April 5, 2019

I’m glad this controversy is percolating on Twitter, though, just because it gives me a chance to see how well I can predict AOC’s Twitter retorts to righties. I’m guessing this one will draw multiple “laughing crying” emojis plus some sort of profound-sounding woke admonition along the lines of “the right can’t understand that women of color speak with many voices.” We’ll see.

Here’s the real AOC voice, impeccably rendered.

a clip of @AOC meeting @tanfrance & the @QueerEye boys pic.twitter.com/3A2t9QB9JK

— Alyssa Limperis (@alyssalimp) April 4, 2019

Update: Nope, my mistake. AOC isn’t laugh-crying about it on Twitter, she’s grumbling.