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As Critics Obsess Over Her Finances, Ocasio-Cortez Urges Media to Focus on Issue 'Actually Worth Airtime': Low-Wage Jobs

New York U.S. House candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at a progressive fundraiser on August 2, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

As Critics Obsess Over Her Finances, Ocasio-Cortez Urges Media to Focus on Issue 'Actually Worth Airtime': Low-Wage Jobs

"While we‘re discussing personal finances," says newly-elected progressive, "Trump's tax dodges represent millions of dollars taken from schoolchildren, teachers, firehouses, senior centers, and more."

Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez continued to shoot back at those who draw attention to--and criticize--the amount in her savings account by calling for coverage instead of far more worthy issues--the nation's pervasive low-wage jobs and President Donald Trump's "public theft"--and accusing some sitting congresspeople of lashing out at her because they are blinded by privilege, and thus unable to represent their constituents.

The latest push-back follows a CNBC report in which Corbin Trent, Ocasio-Cortez's director of communications, said the newly-elected progressive Democrat had "well below $7,000" in her savings account. The news report also included comments from financial experts who said someone of her age should have between $8,750 and $30,000 in savings and at least $27,000 tucked away for retirement--amounts some derided as "unrealistic" for millennials given burdensome student loan debt, low wages, and high housing prices.

Ocasio-Cortez tweeted late Tuesday night:

In another tweet, Ocasio-Cortez pointed to what she sees as the real "fear" motivating the intense look at her bank account and what her wardrobe costs:

According reporter Leah Fessler, critics' continued attention on Ocasio-Cortez's finances is a backfire. What they "still don't understand," she writes at Quartz, "is that their focus on how she doesn't meet their expectations only amplifies her power--and deepens her connection to the young, ambitious, working- and middle-class Americans who see her as their representative on the national stage."

Some of those Americans took to Twitter to make that connection clear:

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alexandria ocasio-cortezinequalitymediaminimum wagepolitics

Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez continued to shoot back at those who draw attention to--and criticize--the amount in her savings account by calling for coverage instead of far more worthy issues--the nation's pervasive low-wage jobs and President Donald Trump's "public theft"--and accusing some sitting congresspeople of lashing out at her because they are blinded by privilege, and thus unable to represent their constituents.

The latest push-back follows a CNBC report in which Corbin Trent, Ocasio-Cortez's director of communications, said the newly-elected progressive Democrat had "well below $7,000" in her savings account. The news report also included comments from financial experts who said someone of her age should have between $8,750 and $30,000 in savings and at least $27,000 tucked away for retirement--amounts some derided as "unrealistic" for millennials given burdensome student loan debt, low wages, and high housing prices.

Ocasio-Cortez tweeted late Tuesday night:

In another tweet, Ocasio-Cortez pointed to what she sees as the real "fear" motivating the intense look at her bank account and what her wardrobe costs:

According reporter Leah Fessler, critics' continued attention on Ocasio-Cortez's finances is a backfire. What they "still don't understand," she writes at Quartz, "is that their focus on how she doesn't meet their expectations only amplifies her power--and deepens her connection to the young, ambitious, working- and middle-class Americans who see her as their representative on the national stage."

Some of those Americans took to Twitter to make that connection clear:

Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez continued to shoot back at those who draw attention to--and criticize--the amount in her savings account by calling for coverage instead of far more worthy issues--the nation's pervasive low-wage jobs and President Donald Trump's "public theft"--and accusing some sitting congresspeople of lashing out at her because they are blinded by privilege, and thus unable to represent their constituents.

The latest push-back follows a CNBC report in which Corbin Trent, Ocasio-Cortez's director of communications, said the newly-elected progressive Democrat had "well below $7,000" in her savings account. The news report also included comments from financial experts who said someone of her age should have between $8,750 and $30,000 in savings and at least $27,000 tucked away for retirement--amounts some derided as "unrealistic" for millennials given burdensome student loan debt, low wages, and high housing prices.

Ocasio-Cortez tweeted late Tuesday night:

In another tweet, Ocasio-Cortez pointed to what she sees as the real "fear" motivating the intense look at her bank account and what her wardrobe costs:

According reporter Leah Fessler, critics' continued attention on Ocasio-Cortez's finances is a backfire. What they "still don't understand," she writes at Quartz, "is that their focus on how she doesn't meet their expectations only amplifies her power--and deepens her connection to the young, ambitious, working- and middle-class Americans who see her as their representative on the national stage."

Some of those Americans took to Twitter to make that connection clear:

alexandria ocasio-cortezinequalitymediaminimum wagepolitics
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