Fact Check: Have AOC and Bernie Sanders been ordered to repay $30M of taxpayer funds?
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: An allegation has been circulating on social media platforms claiming that socialists Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders have been ordered to repay more than $30 million of taxpayer funds they spent on a nationwide trip. The claim has triggered outrage and speculation, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders ordered to repay $30 million
Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been ordered to repay more than $30 million that they spent on a taxpayer-funded trip around the country.
— Larry Dean (@larry_mcwethy) August 20, 2026
They called it the "No Oligarchs" tour, which was ironic considering they flew around America for three months like royalty.… pic.twitter.com/lUdaNv7qo7
According to a viral post that surfaced on X, the two Democratic Socialists have been ordered to repay more than $30 million that they spent on a taxpayer-funded ‘No Oligarchs’ trip around the country.
The post alleged that the two stayed in posh hotels, ate at Michelin-starred restaurants, and spent on things like days off, renting $10,000-a-night Airbnbs overlooking the Grand Canyon.
The post further claims that they have 30 days to submit a repayment plan to the 14th District US Court of Writs and Judgments.
The post also accuses AOC of allegedly refusing to pay her student loan despite earning $173,000 a year.
The claim has triggered mixed reactions, with many online users slamming the two Democrats for their disregard for taxpayer money, while others question its authenticity.
Fact Check: The claim originated as a satire
No reports say Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders are being ordered to repay more than $30 million in taxpayer funds they spent on a nationwide trip; hence, the claim is rated as false.
The claims about their spending and activities during the ‘No Oligarchs’ trip, such as dining at Michelin-starred restaurants and $10,000-a-night Airbnbs, are exaggerated and baseless.
The post also does not mention who ordered them to repay the amount, making the claim less credible.
There are also no credible reports by prominent news and entertainment media outlets, which, if true, would have made headlines, triggering widespread backlash and debates.
Moreover, the claim was accompanied by a photo of the duo with an overlay text on the bottom left, stating, “Nothing on this page is real,” indicating that the claim was intended as satire.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faces pushback over 2028 ambitions
The claim surfaced as AOC triggered an unusual backlash from within the Maoist faction of the Democratic Socialists of America, rejecting her as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender.
The group accused Ocasio-Cortez of retreating from socialist politics and called her an “opportunist dilettante” over her positions on policing, particularly her stance on Israel, and asserted that they would oppose any effort to present her as the future presidential candidate of the DSA or the broader socialist movement.
