US President Donald Trump attacked Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and criticized the green new deal by comparing her to a child. He called the deal a socialist takeover of the US economy during his remarks at Whirlpool Corporation Manufacturing Plant and called it horrendous. Trump quickly moved on to lambaste AOC, who conceived the deal. President said, “AOC plus three I say. AOC, that’s a real beauty isn’t it”. He also referred to the squad, a group of progressive freshmen lawmakers elected during the 2018 midterms. Trump added, “She knows as much about the environment as that young child over there I think he knows more. She certainly knows nothing about the economy”.
President Trump’s comments came after the US Senator Kamala Harris and Representative Ocasio-Cortez introduced a climate equity bill on Thursday that AOC has stressed has Green New Deal roots. Kamala Harris said, “The Democratic Party is now finally starting to embrace what many activists have long advocated: climate policy must be driven by and centered around frontline communities”. The Hill also reported that she said, “Major environmental policies must be written by the black, brown, and low-income people who have been and will be disproportionately impacted by it, just like the Green New Deal envisioned”. Point to be noted that Trump and Rep Ocasio-Cortez have clashed a number of times in the past over the Green New Deal.
It is noteworthy that Republicans have claimed the Green New Deal would devastate the economy and lead to a huge tax increase and Trump personally declared war on the deal. The US Senate defeated the proposal however this new legislation is designed to address its third pillar. The new bill would require the government to make stronger consideration of racial and economic inequalities in its environmental policies. It is important that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has tested positive for the coronavirus. He will no longer meet President Donald Trump on the tarmac at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland this afternoon. DeWine has no symptoms and has returned to Columbus where he will quarantine for 14 days.