US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has hit back over claims she faked being handcuffed while arrested at an abortion rights rally outside the Supreme Court earlier this week. 

She was mocked by Republicans after footage circulated on social media showed her smiling with her arms behind her back as she was escorted from the protest by a police officer. 

“Politics has become performative art,” Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace said on Wednesday. “So of course AOC fakes being in handcuffs. Performance, not policy, is the name of the game up here.”

Ms Ocasio-Cortez however denied the accusations. 

“No faking here,” she replied to Ms Mace. “Putting your hands behind your back is a best practice while detained, handcuffed or not, to avoid escalating charges like resisting arrest.”

The New York congresswoman was one of 16 Democratic lawmakers detained on Tuesday during a protest over the decision to scrap the decades-long constitutional right to abortion enshrined following the landmark Roe v Wade decision. 

She was followed soon after by Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a fellow member of the “Squad” of left members of congress.