Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may have thought she was scoring political points online, but her latest social media outburst could soon cost her a lot more than some backlash from the right. The firebrand Democrat from New York ignited a storm Friday when she called President Donald Trump “a rapist” in a tweet reacting to new details from the Jeffrey Epstein files. The problem? That exact claim already cost ABC News $15 million last year—and legal experts say she may have opened herself up to the same fate.

The tweet in question, which quickly went viral, read: “Wow who would have thought that electing a rapist would have complicated the release of the Epstein Files?” The dig was an apparent reference to the 2023 civil trial involving writer E. Jean Carroll, in which a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse—not rape. That legal distinction proved enormously significant last year when ABC’s George Stephanopoulos repeated the rape claim on air and got hit with a massive defamation lawsuit from Trump.

In that case, Trump sued both Stephanopoulos and ABC after the anchor falsely declared on live TV that Trump had been “found liable for rape.” As part of a December settlement, ABC ended up paying $15 million to Trump’s presidential library foundation, $1 million in legal fees, and issued a public apology. The episode rocked the network and reportedly left Stephanopoulos “apoplectic” behind the scenes.

Apparently, AOC missed the memo.

Her tweet sparked immediate outrage across social media and drew the attention of high-profile legal and political figures, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who didn’t mince words. “You can’t just throw out your wildest ideas if they are totally divorced from reality,” Lee posted.

Even many Democrats are privately concerned that Ocasio-Cortez’s post could prove to be more than just another social media gaffe. Legal experts have pointed out that because Trump has already proven the falsity of similar claims in court—and been financially vindicated—AOC’s statement could meet the legal threshold for actual malice, a requirement for public figures to win defamation suits.

The irony is rich: in her attempt to shame Trump over his supposed links to Epstein, AOC may have exposed herself to a lawsuit that would not only damage her politically, but potentially saddle her with steep financial consequences. The fact that she holds elected office doesn’t give her a free pass to make knowingly false statements, especially when a recent legal precedent already exists.

This isn’t the first time AOC has blurred the line between rhetoric and recklessness, but this instance is different. The legal warning signs were there in flashing red letters. She just chose to ignore them.

As the dust settles, the ball is now in Trump’s court. And given his recent appetite for holding media and public officials accountable for defamatory attacks, it wouldn’t be surprising if a lawsuit is already being drafted.

Whether or not she faces formal legal action, Ocasio-Cortez may soon learn that social media grandstanding comes with real-world consequences—especially when the facts aren’t on your side.