President Donald Trump mocked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-N.Y.) radical Green New Deal proposal on Monday night, saying it was like a “high school term paper that got a low mark” — and the newly minted lawmaker from New York lashed out in retaliation.
Trump held a rally in El Paso, Texas, on Monday night in which he pushed for border security and wall funding ahead of a congressional budget agreement deadline on Friday.
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As the president championed his Make America Great Again policies, he also took the opportunity to take a swipe at progressive Democrats and their increasingly radical proposals.
Ocasio-Cortez (shown above right) unveiled her Green New Deal proposal last week, which would cost trillions of dollars and has a goal of combating income inequality and addressing climate change through a massive systemic overhaul.
The proposal’s more outrageous demands earned the president’s derision.
Several 2020 Democratic presidential contenders have backed the Green New Deal and signaled their willingness to embrace progressive policies once shunned by mainstream politicians.
“Last week, they introduced a massive government takeover that would destroy our incredible economic gains. They introduced the so-called Green New Deal,” Trump told the crowd of thousands — who then proceeded to boo the proposal.
“It sounds like a high school term paper that got a low mark,” Trump added. “It would shut down American energy — which I don’t think the people of Texas are going to be happy [about].”
The crowd booed again.
“It would shut down a little thing called air travel. How do you take a train to Europe?” the president wanted to know. “They want to take away your car, reduce the value of your home, and put millions of Americans out of work.”
This Green New Deal is “not going to happen,” Trump claimed.
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The president’s criticism — particularly his remark about the “high school term paper that got a low mark” — didn’t sit well with Ocasio-Cortez.
“Ah yes, a man who can’t even read briefings written in full sentences is providing literary criticism of a House Resolution. (“Reading the intelligence book is not Trump’s preferred ‘style of learning,’ according to a person with knowledge of the situation,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, citing a report from The Washington Post about Trump’s reading habits.
Ah yes, a man who can’t even read briefings written in full sentences is providing literary criticism of a House Resolution.
(“Reading the intelligence book is not Trump’s preferred ‘style of learning,’ according to a person with knowledge of the situation.”
– @washingtonpost) https://t.co/O7daeYlXZO— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 12, 2019
Trump also leveled some harsh criticism at Democrats’ mainstream lurch toward progressive and socialist policies.
He said proposals like the Green New Deal — which right now is only a resolution and not a formal bill — and massive tax hike proposals are meant “to pave the way for socialism.”
“Everywhere socialism has been, everywhere it’s been implemented, it’s produced poverty, misery, repression and despair. You take a look — no matter where,” Trump warned. “Yet there are those trying to implement socialism right here in the United States.”
“So I again say to you — and I say it for the world to hear, America will never be a socialist country. Never,” Trump said to a great chorus of cheers and applause from the assembled thousands.
Many more people were outside the Texas arena where Trump spoke and watched the rally on screens.
Check out more in the video below:
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