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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").
\u201cVirtually every policy Trump pursues works to steal public money & personally enrich himself & his friends.\n\n\ud83d\udcb0Gutting National Monuments pays \u27a1\ufe0f Fossil Fuel CEOs\n\ud83d\udcb0Border concentration camps pay \u27a1\ufe0f Private Prison CEOs\n\ud83d\udcb0Betsy DeVos pays \u27a1\ufe0f loan sharks\n\nIt\u2019s always about the con.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
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:
\u201cVirtually every policy Trump pursues works to steal public money & personally enrich himself & his friends.\n\n\ud83d\udcb0Gutting National Monuments pays \u27a1\ufe0f Fossil Fuel CEOs\n\ud83d\udcb0Border concentration camps pay \u27a1\ufe0f Private Prison CEOs\n\ud83d\udcb0Betsy DeVos pays \u27a1\ufe0f loan sharks\n\nIt\u2019s always about the con.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
\u201cSince corruption isn\u2019t popular policy, racism works as the cover for the con. That\u2019s why addressing racism isn\u2019t a \u201cdistraction\u201d - it\u2019s key to understanding the hustle against working people. \n\nCulturally, racism is used as the unspoken cudgel against pro-working class policy. /2\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
\u201cFor example:\n\nBy rallying support for super racist immigration policies, (Muslim Ban, concentration camps,etc), supporters look the other way at the billions of public dollars going to private prison CEOs - who then kick some that \ud83d\udcb0 back to Trump (ex. his inaugural committee)\n/3\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
\u201cThe corruption of Trump - of many admins - wouldn\u2019t be politically possible without relying on sympathy for racist policies.\n\nThat\u2019s what Reagan\u2019s Black \u201cwelfare queen\u201d was all about, too.\n\nIf people think they\u2019re \u201cpaying for someone else,\u201d they\u2019ll dismantle their own healthcare.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
\u201cBeyond the moral wrong, racism is a powerful political tool used to dismantle public goods & civil rights.\n\nSo long as bigoted sympathies exist (subtly or loud), they will be used. That\u2019s why convincing people racism is a sidenote,¬ broad or institutional, is a strategic move.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
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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").
\u201cVirtually every policy Trump pursues works to steal public money & personally enrich himself & his friends.\n\n\ud83d\udcb0Gutting National Monuments pays \u27a1\ufe0f Fossil Fuel CEOs\n\ud83d\udcb0Border concentration camps pay \u27a1\ufe0f Private Prison CEOs\n\ud83d\udcb0Betsy DeVos pays \u27a1\ufe0f loan sharks\n\nIt\u2019s always about the con.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
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:
\u201cVirtually every policy Trump pursues works to steal public money & personally enrich himself & his friends.\n\n\ud83d\udcb0Gutting National Monuments pays \u27a1\ufe0f Fossil Fuel CEOs\n\ud83d\udcb0Border concentration camps pay \u27a1\ufe0f Private Prison CEOs\n\ud83d\udcb0Betsy DeVos pays \u27a1\ufe0f loan sharks\n\nIt\u2019s always about the con.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
\u201cSince corruption isn\u2019t popular policy, racism works as the cover for the con. That\u2019s why addressing racism isn\u2019t a \u201cdistraction\u201d - it\u2019s key to understanding the hustle against working people. \n\nCulturally, racism is used as the unspoken cudgel against pro-working class policy. /2\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
\u201cFor example:\n\nBy rallying support for super racist immigration policies, (Muslim Ban, concentration camps,etc), supporters look the other way at the billions of public dollars going to private prison CEOs - who then kick some that \ud83d\udcb0 back to Trump (ex. his inaugural committee)\n/3\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
\u201cThe corruption of Trump - of many admins - wouldn\u2019t be politically possible without relying on sympathy for racist policies.\n\nThat\u2019s what Reagan\u2019s Black \u201cwelfare queen\u201d was all about, too.\n\nIf people think they\u2019re \u201cpaying for someone else,\u201d they\u2019ll dismantle their own healthcare.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
\u201cBeyond the moral wrong, racism is a powerful political tool used to dismantle public goods & civil rights.\n\nSo long as bigoted sympathies exist (subtly or loud), they will be used. That\u2019s why convincing people racism is a sidenote,¬ broad or institutional, is a strategic move.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
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").
\u201cVirtually every policy Trump pursues works to steal public money & personally enrich himself & his friends.\n\n\ud83d\udcb0Gutting National Monuments pays \u27a1\ufe0f Fossil Fuel CEOs\n\ud83d\udcb0Border concentration camps pay \u27a1\ufe0f Private Prison CEOs\n\ud83d\udcb0Betsy DeVos pays \u27a1\ufe0f loan sharks\n\nIt\u2019s always about the con.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
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:
\u201cVirtually every policy Trump pursues works to steal public money & personally enrich himself & his friends.\n\n\ud83d\udcb0Gutting National Monuments pays \u27a1\ufe0f Fossil Fuel CEOs\n\ud83d\udcb0Border concentration camps pay \u27a1\ufe0f Private Prison CEOs\n\ud83d\udcb0Betsy DeVos pays \u27a1\ufe0f loan sharks\n\nIt\u2019s always about the con.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
\u201cSince corruption isn\u2019t popular policy, racism works as the cover for the con. That\u2019s why addressing racism isn\u2019t a \u201cdistraction\u201d - it\u2019s key to understanding the hustle against working people. \n\nCulturally, racism is used as the unspoken cudgel against pro-working class policy. /2\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
\u201cFor example:\n\nBy rallying support for super racist immigration policies, (Muslim Ban, concentration camps,etc), supporters look the other way at the billions of public dollars going to private prison CEOs - who then kick some that \ud83d\udcb0 back to Trump (ex. his inaugural committee)\n/3\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
\u201cThe corruption of Trump - of many admins - wouldn\u2019t be politically possible without relying on sympathy for racist policies.\n\nThat\u2019s what Reagan\u2019s Black \u201cwelfare queen\u201d was all about, too.\n\nIf people think they\u2019re \u201cpaying for someone else,\u201d they\u2019ll dismantle their own healthcare.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
\u201cBeyond the moral wrong, racism is a powerful political tool used to dismantle public goods & civil rights.\n\nSo long as bigoted sympathies exist (subtly or loud), they will be used. That\u2019s why convincing people racism is a sidenote,¬ broad or institutional, is a strategic move.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1567525101
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