Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Slams Donald Trump’s $28B Farm Rescue, Asks Why It’s Not Called ‘Socialism’
Progressive firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasted Donald Trump’s decision to funnel $28 billion in taxpayer dollars to rescue farmers that have taken a hit from his controversial and ongoing trade war with China, Newsweek reports. According to Ocasio-Cortez, who is often attacked as a “socialist” along with Bernie Sanders, “socialism” is never applied to billionaires buying rural voters.
“When the public democratically decides to invest in ourselves, in working people, they call it socialism,” she tweeted. “When a billionaire-captured government forces the public to pay for their misdeeds at the expense of working people, they just call it the cost of capitalism.”
Ocasio-Cortez linked her tweet to a Bloomberg article that highlighted Trump’s farm rescue payments. The article stated the subsidies were primarily sent to rural, Midwestern agriculture businesses. In addition, the payments are going to cost more than twice what former President Barack Obama spent in the 2009 bailout of Detroit’s Big Three automakers. That move cost just $12 billion in taxpayer money.
The 29-year-old New York representative’s criticism echoes Sanders’ comments about socialism’s double standard that he made while speaking to supporters during a rally in June.
“While President Trump and his fellow oligarchs attack us for our support of democratic socialism, they don’t really oppose all forms of socialism. They may hate democratic socialism because it benefits working people but they absolutely love corporate socialism that enriches Trump and other billionaires.”
Ocasio-Cortez is a vocal critic of Trump, but she is outspoken on many other issues as well. She recently attacked Democrats for refusing to impeach Trump for his actions outlined in Robert Mueller’s report about Russian interference in the 2016 election. While Ocasio-Cortez supports impeaching Trump for his behavior, she also believes he should be impeached for attempting to push the Ukrainian government to provide dirt on his Democratic presidential opponent, Joe Biden.
According to Ocasio-Cortez, the Democrats’ refusal to impeach Trump is a “bigger national scandal” than the president’s controversial behaviors.
You: Why is my balance so low?
Economists: Bc working Americans haven’t gotten a raise in 30 years despite unprecedented growth; & living costs have exploded.
Chase: Maybe if you skipped that Dunkin on April 22nd you‘d be able to afford your RX meds. That’s how that works right pic.twitter.com/i8bGowwomU
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 30, 2019
Although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remains opposed to impeachment, Richard Painter, who acted as chief ethics lawyer for former President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2007, claims that the proceedings are coming regardless. According to Painter, Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is dead-set on impeaching Trump and will ensure that the necessary procedures take place. He also attacked anyone who doesn’t support Nadler’s work and claims that anyone opposed to the move has “no respect for the Constitution.”
Painter added that if Pelosi prevents congressional Democrats from moving forward with impeachment proceedings, Democrats might as well hand Trump re-election in 2020.
