Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended her socialist colleague Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) pulling a fire alarm in a House office building to delay a stopgap spending bill designed to avert a government shutdown.

CNN’s “State of the Union” host Jake Tapper on Sunday argued that Bowman’s explanation for pulling the fire alarm on accident yesterday “doesn’t really make sense.”

“There was an interesting moment over the weekend when your New York colleague, Congressman Jamaal Bowman, he’s under investigation for this now after Capitol Police say he pulled a fire alarm in one of the House office buildings,” Tapper began.

“Democrats were trying to delay a final vote on the bill. There he is, pulling the fire alarm. He says it was an accident. He thought pulling the alarm would open a door based on the fact that the doors to his right there was locked, and there was a sign that I think someone said it was confusing. I’ll be honest. It doesn’t really make sense to me, his explanation. Have you talked to him?”

AOC claimed Bowman’s actions chalked up to a “moment of panic.”

“I think if you actually do see some of the photos of the signs, I think there’s something to be said about the government’s about to shut down, there’s a vote clock that’s going down, the exits that are normally open in that building are suddenly closed,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

Tapper asked, “So he pulled the fire alarm?”

Ocasio-Cortez said, “What I’m here to say is that House administration and U.S. Capitol police and Jamaal Bowman are an active, and he’s fully participating in saying there was a misunderstanding. But what I do think it’s important to raise is the fact that Republicans, representatives immediately moved to file motions to censure, motions to expel, before there has even been conversations that are finished to even see if there’s a misunderstanding here.”

AOC then used a red herring by bringing up criminal charges leveled against Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y) earlier this year.

“But what they did do, while day did that, what they did not do was commit to the same when George Santos was actually found guilty after a thorough investigation after 13 federal charges. He’s indicted on everything from wire fraud to actually lying of house investigators, and they have been buddying up and giggling with him on the House floor,” Ocasio-Cortez argued.

“They are protecting someone who has lied to the American people, lied to the United States House of Representatives, lied to congressional investigators, but they’re filing a motion to expel a member who, in a moment of panic, was trying to escape a vestibule? Give me a break!” she added.

House Republicans have called for Bowman to be expelled for pulling the fire alarm, noting it’s a felony to obstruct an official Congressional proceeding.

‘I’m calling on the DOJ to prosecute him using the same law they used to prosecute J6 defendants for interfering with an official proceeding,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) wrote on X.

Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman pulled the fire alarm in the Cannon building this afternoon and interrupted the official proceedings of the House as Republicans worked to keep the government open.

I’m calling on the DOJ to prosecute him using the same law they used to prosecute J6… pic.twitter.com/KlXjwVrkc1

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) September 30, 2023

“The Democrats literally will do anything to shut OUR government down because billions aren’t going to their favorite country: Ukraine,” she added.

The 45-day continuing resolution was passed 335-91 and Joe Biden signed it into law late Saturday.