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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) speaks during a vigil for the victims of the recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio in Grand Army Plaza on August 5, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
'Always About the Con': Ocasio-Cortez Says 'Virtually Every' Trump Policy Designed to Loot Public Coffers and Enrich His Cronies
"Since corruption isn't popular policy, racism works as the cover for the con. That's why addressing racism isn’t a 'distraction'—it's key to understanding the hustle against working people."
Sep 04, 2019
In a viral Twitter thread on Tuesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez detailed her view that nearly every element of President Donald Trump's policy agenda is designed to loot federal coffers and enrich himself and his cronies.
"Virtually every policy Trump pursues works to steal public money and personally enrich himself and his friends," said the New York Democrat, who said Trump deploys racism and xenophobia as a "cover for the con."
As concrete examples, Ocasio-Cortez cited the Trump administration's decision to open national monuments to corporate exploitation (which enriches fossil fuel executives), expand "border concentration camps" (which enriches private prison CEOs), and appoint Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (which enriches "loan sharks").
According to Ocasio-Cortez, the Trump administration's blatant corruption would not be possible "without relying on sympathy for racist policies. That's what Reagan's black 'welfare queen' was all about, too."
"That's why addressing racism isn't a 'distraction,'" said Ocasio-Cortez, "it's key to understanding the hustle against working people. Culturally, racism is used as the unspoken cudgel against pro-working class policy."
AOC's Twitter thread came in response to reports that, during his visit to Ireland this week, Vice President Mike Pence stayed at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg at the president's suggestion.
"Rather than spending Monday night in Dublin, the vice president stayed 181 miles away by car on the other side of Ireland--at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg," the New York Times reported. "The person who suggested he stay there was the hotel's owner himself, President Trump."
Read Ocasio-Cortez's full thread:
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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. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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In a viral Twitter thread on Tuesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez detailed her view that nearly every element of President Donald Trump's policy agenda is designed to loot federal coffers and enrich himself and his cronies.
"Virtually every policy Trump pursues works to steal public money and personally enrich himself and his friends," said the New York Democrat, who said Trump deploys racism and xenophobia as a "cover for the con."
As concrete examples, Ocasio-Cortez cited the Trump administration's decision to open national monuments to corporate exploitation (which enriches fossil fuel executives), expand "border concentration camps" (which enriches private prison CEOs), and appoint Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (which enriches "loan sharks").
According to Ocasio-Cortez, the Trump administration's blatant corruption would not be possible "without relying on sympathy for racist policies. That's what Reagan's black 'welfare queen' was all about, too."
"That's why addressing racism isn't a 'distraction,'" said Ocasio-Cortez, "it's key to understanding the hustle against working people. Culturally, racism is used as the unspoken cudgel against pro-working class policy."
AOC's Twitter thread came in response to reports that, during his visit to Ireland this week, Vice President Mike Pence stayed at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg at the president's suggestion.
"Rather than spending Monday night in Dublin, the vice president stayed 181 miles away by car on the other side of Ireland--at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg," the New York Times reported. "The person who suggested he stay there was the hotel's owner himself, President Trump."
Read Ocasio-Cortez's full thread:
In a viral Twitter thread on Tuesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez detailed her view that nearly every element of President Donald Trump's policy agenda is designed to loot federal coffers and enrich himself and his cronies.
"Virtually every policy Trump pursues works to steal public money and personally enrich himself and his friends," said the New York Democrat, who said Trump deploys racism and xenophobia as a "cover for the con."
As concrete examples, Ocasio-Cortez cited the Trump administration's decision to open national monuments to corporate exploitation (which enriches fossil fuel executives), expand "border concentration camps" (which enriches private prison CEOs), and appoint Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (which enriches "loan sharks").
According to Ocasio-Cortez, the Trump administration's blatant corruption would not be possible "without relying on sympathy for racist policies. That's what Reagan's black 'welfare queen' was all about, too."
"That's why addressing racism isn't a 'distraction,'" said Ocasio-Cortez, "it's key to understanding the hustle against working people. Culturally, racism is used as the unspoken cudgel against pro-working class policy."
AOC's Twitter thread came in response to reports that, during his visit to Ireland this week, Vice President Mike Pence stayed at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg at the president's suggestion.
"Rather than spending Monday night in Dublin, the vice president stayed 181 miles away by car on the other side of Ireland--at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg," the New York Times reported. "The person who suggested he stay there was the hotel's owner himself, President Trump."
Read Ocasio-Cortez's full thread:
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