"This is the REAL conversation we need to have as a country," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Sunday. "As horrific as this president is, he is a symptom of much deeper problems." (Photo: 60 Minutes/CBS News)
Whether Impeached or Voted Out or Stays Put, Ocasio-Cortez Says Trump 'Symptom of Much Deeper Problems'
Amid new consternation sparked by Mueller report, Congresswoman from New York says key national conversation must go deeper than what becomes of the Republican president
Amid widespread speculation over the weekend stirred by the submission of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report to the Department of Justice--and the 4-page summary of it released on Sunday--Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says the most important dialogue at this point should not be about what happens next to President Donald Trump, but one focused on the "root causes" that made it possible for such a person to ascend to the White House in the first place.
"As horrific as this president is, he is a symptom of much deeper problems." --Rep. Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)"This is the REAL conversation we need to have as a country," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Sunday. "As horrific as this president is, he is a symptom of much deeper problems."
Ocasio-Cortez was responding to actor and activist George Takei, who in a tweet on Saturday stated: "Let's say Trump goes down in disgrace from Mueller or the SDNY or Congressional investigations. We're left with a big question: How did a guy like that get elected? Why do so many still support him? We can't just say 'Fox News' or 'Russians.' We have serious issues to sort out."
The Twitter thread on Sunday afternoon arrived just prior to news that U.S. Attorney General William Barr had delivered his summary of the Mueller report to members of Congress. According to the Associated Press' initial reporting on the summary, Mueller "did not exonerate President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice," but neither did it "find that he committed a crime."
With numerous outlets earlier reporting that Mueller's office will seek no further indictments based on its exhuastive nearly two-year investigation, many legal analysts and political observers have shifted to the idea that President Trump, as well as his family members and other associates, could still face jeopardy from congressional oversight, criminal probes underway by the Southern District of New York, or possible action from other jurisdictions.
However, as Ocasio-Cortez, argued in a follow-up tweet, the focus on Trump's potential criminal problems or impeachment by the Democratic-controlled Congress misses the larger point when it comes to solving the nation's deeper crisis.
"He can stay, he can go. He can be impeached, or voted out in 2020," she tweeted. "But removing Trump will not remove the infrastructure of an entire party that embraced him; the dark money that funded him; the online radicalization that drummed his army; nor the racism he amplified+reanimated."
"In order for us to heal as a nation," she concluded, "we ALL must pursue the hard work of addressing these root causes. It's not as easy as voting. It means having uncomfortable moments convos w/ loved ones, w/ media, w/ those we disagree, and yes - within our own party, too. It's on all of us."
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This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Amid widespread speculation over the weekend stirred by the submission of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report to the Department of Justice--and the 4-page summary of it released on Sunday--Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says the most important dialogue at this point should not be about what happens next to President Donald Trump, but one focused on the "root causes" that made it possible for such a person to ascend to the White House in the first place.
"As horrific as this president is, he is a symptom of much deeper problems." --Rep. Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)"This is the REAL conversation we need to have as a country," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Sunday. "As horrific as this president is, he is a symptom of much deeper problems."
Ocasio-Cortez was responding to actor and activist George Takei, who in a tweet on Saturday stated: "Let's say Trump goes down in disgrace from Mueller or the SDNY or Congressional investigations. We're left with a big question: How did a guy like that get elected? Why do so many still support him? We can't just say 'Fox News' or 'Russians.' We have serious issues to sort out."
The Twitter thread on Sunday afternoon arrived just prior to news that U.S. Attorney General William Barr had delivered his summary of the Mueller report to members of Congress. According to the Associated Press' initial reporting on the summary, Mueller "did not exonerate President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice," but neither did it "find that he committed a crime."
With numerous outlets earlier reporting that Mueller's office will seek no further indictments based on its exhuastive nearly two-year investigation, many legal analysts and political observers have shifted to the idea that President Trump, as well as his family members and other associates, could still face jeopardy from congressional oversight, criminal probes underway by the Southern District of New York, or possible action from other jurisdictions.
However, as Ocasio-Cortez, argued in a follow-up tweet, the focus on Trump's potential criminal problems or impeachment by the Democratic-controlled Congress misses the larger point when it comes to solving the nation's deeper crisis.
"He can stay, he can go. He can be impeached, or voted out in 2020," she tweeted. "But removing Trump will not remove the infrastructure of an entire party that embraced him; the dark money that funded him; the online radicalization that drummed his army; nor the racism he amplified+reanimated."
"In order for us to heal as a nation," she concluded, "we ALL must pursue the hard work of addressing these root causes. It's not as easy as voting. It means having uncomfortable moments convos w/ loved ones, w/ media, w/ those we disagree, and yes - within our own party, too. It's on all of us."
Amid widespread speculation over the weekend stirred by the submission of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report to the Department of Justice--and the 4-page summary of it released on Sunday--Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says the most important dialogue at this point should not be about what happens next to President Donald Trump, but one focused on the "root causes" that made it possible for such a person to ascend to the White House in the first place.
"As horrific as this president is, he is a symptom of much deeper problems." --Rep. Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)"This is the REAL conversation we need to have as a country," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Sunday. "As horrific as this president is, he is a symptom of much deeper problems."
Ocasio-Cortez was responding to actor and activist George Takei, who in a tweet on Saturday stated: "Let's say Trump goes down in disgrace from Mueller or the SDNY or Congressional investigations. We're left with a big question: How did a guy like that get elected? Why do so many still support him? We can't just say 'Fox News' or 'Russians.' We have serious issues to sort out."
The Twitter thread on Sunday afternoon arrived just prior to news that U.S. Attorney General William Barr had delivered his summary of the Mueller report to members of Congress. According to the Associated Press' initial reporting on the summary, Mueller "did not exonerate President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice," but neither did it "find that he committed a crime."
With numerous outlets earlier reporting that Mueller's office will seek no further indictments based on its exhuastive nearly two-year investigation, many legal analysts and political observers have shifted to the idea that President Trump, as well as his family members and other associates, could still face jeopardy from congressional oversight, criminal probes underway by the Southern District of New York, or possible action from other jurisdictions.
However, as Ocasio-Cortez, argued in a follow-up tweet, the focus on Trump's potential criminal problems or impeachment by the Democratic-controlled Congress misses the larger point when it comes to solving the nation's deeper crisis.
"He can stay, he can go. He can be impeached, or voted out in 2020," she tweeted. "But removing Trump will not remove the infrastructure of an entire party that embraced him; the dark money that funded him; the online radicalization that drummed his army; nor the racism he amplified+reanimated."
"In order for us to heal as a nation," she concluded, "we ALL must pursue the hard work of addressing these root causes. It's not as easy as voting. It means having uncomfortable moments convos w/ loved ones, w/ media, w/ those we disagree, and yes - within our own party, too. It's on all of us."