Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Calls Trump a 'Rapist,' Accuses Him of Withholding Epstein Files

2:11 PM PT -- White House Spokesperson Steven Cheung is hitting back, telling TMZ ... "AOC likes to play pretend like she’s from the block, but in reality she’s just a sad, miserable blockhead who is trying to over-compensate for her lack of self-confidence that has followed her for her entire life."

"Instead, she should get some serious help for her obvious and severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted her pea-sized brain.”

Interestingly, Cheung didn't make any mention of pursuing legal action.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says the public should've known President Donald Trump wouldn't release the Epstein files ... after all, his track record with sexual abuse ain't spotless!

The Congresswoman from New York posted to X Friday morning ... cracking a joke about Jeffrey Epstein's alleged files the Trump administration now says don't exist.

AOC wrote, "Wow who would have thought that electing a rapist would have complicated the release of the Epstein Files?" She doesn't name Trump directly, but remember ... Trump was found liable of sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll in a 2023 civil trial. He was not, however, found liable of rape -- a distinction AOC didn't make in her own post

ICYMI ... this week, the Department of Justice claimed Epstein didn't keep a client list -- this despite Attorney General Pam Bondi previously saying some sort of document about the client list was on her desk.

During a Q&A with the press, the president flipped out on a journalist who asked about the list again ... leading some to say Trump was being evasive because he's on the list himself. Conservative commentator Michael Knowles presented his own theory on Trump's reaction on "TMZ Live."

Worth noting ... Trump settled a $15 million suit with ABC News after anchor George Stephanopoulos said multiple times during an interview with S.C. Congresswoman Nancy Mace that the president had been found liable of raping Carroll. Unclear if Trump plans to bring legal action against AOC.

Trump's administration can say all they want that there's no client list ... but, it sounds like AOC and others want to see what they do have on Epstein.