On Tuesday, President Donald Trump spoke at a fundraising dinner for the National Republican Congressional Committee. Like many of his GOP colleagues, he had someone forefront in his mind: freshman Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"The Green New Deal, done by a young bartender, 29 years old."
The President added:
"A young bartender, wonderful young woman. The Green New Deal. The first time I heard it I said, 'That’s the craziest thing.' You have senators that are professionals that you guys know that have been there for a long time ... and they’re standing behind her shaking. They’re petrified of her."
While the President's words about Ocasio-Cortez were not particularly derogatory, they were dismissive.
Watch his remarks here.
Instead of calling @AOC a Congresswoman, President Trump repeatedly referred to her as a 29-year-old bartender.… https://t.co/ryVmRHXcSi— Haleigh Hoffman (@Haleigh Hoffman) 1554253997.0
Trump mocks the Green New Deal: "The GND, done by a young bartender, 29-years-old. A young bartender, wonderful you… https://t.co/ofTKEe53bt— Ryan Saavedra (@Ryan Saavedra) 1554270593.0
In his 88-minute speech tonight, Trump: • Twice mocked Biden • Referred to Green New Deal as the work of a “young b… https://t.co/c3wM7V64KF— Eli Stokols (@Eli Stokols) 1554261061.0
On Wednesday the Democrat for New York's 14th congressional district had the chance to respond. Representative Ocasio-Cortez said:
"[The] last guy who underestimated me lost. That’s all I gotta say about that."
Much of the Republican rhetoric and that of the Trump camp focuses on the freshman Representatives former job. However little is said of her education.
Ocasio-Cortez graduated cum laude from Boston University's College of Arts and Sciences with a dual major in international relations and economics. In addition to a job as an educational director in her Bronx home neighborhood, she took a second job tending bar and waitressing to help her mother.
It is this second job that Republicans disparage.
The President's latest attack on Ocasio-Cortez did not gain much support outside of his core followers. Instead, people are contrasting the histories of the two parties.
Many pointed out Trump's success was assured by his father without any extraordinary efforts by the President himself.
(1) @realDonaldTrump is a 72 year-old given everything he has by his daddy who lost nearly all of it anyway in a li… https://t.co/EV8fL9T25s— Seth Abramson (@Seth Abramson) 1554255879.0
@SethAbramson @realDonaldTrump It’s better than being an old criminal.— M&S Olvera 🚁 (@M&S Olvera 🚁) 1554260111.0
@SethAbramson @realDonaldTrump @AOC so now that he feels free to denigrate you, I guess you now have license to cal… https://t.co/7WAV6ImUO5— DianeNamm (@DianeNamm) 1554256752.0
@SethAbramson @realDonaldTrump Behold... the latest ironic plot twist in Trump’s war on elites as started by his pa… https://t.co/nEC66LNusL— ProfoundlyTrivialDoodleBug (@ProfoundlyTrivialDoodleBug) 1554335280.0
@SethAbramson @Satiristas @realDonaldTrump The entire @gop have lost their minds over her. It’s hilariously entertaining.— Matt is broken 🤖♿️ (@Matt is broken 🤖♿️) 1554322929.0
"The Green New Deal, done by a young bartender, 29 years old." - Trump, on @AOC, to laughter from the GOP audience.… https://t.co/ysTRUzzBUN— Peter Daou (@Peter Daou) 1554300320.0
And people pointed out working class jobs are nothing to be ashamed of, or shamed for by rich people who inherited their wealth.
@RealSaavedra How would the Republican party of today react to a congressman who, just as an example, had once split rails for a living?— MAGIC 8BALL 2020 (@MAGIC 8BALL 2020) 1554347259.0
@SethAbramson @realDonaldTrump There's nothing wrong with being a bartender.— Jim Sylvester (@Jim Sylvester) 1554257536.0
@SethAbramson @mfrost11 @realDonaldTrump Exactly, he doesn't trust people who've done an honest days work. I believ… https://t.co/SDNhVAY44D— ᴜʟᴛʀᴀᴅᴀᴍɴᴏ (@ᴜʟᴛʀᴀᴅᴀᴍɴᴏ) 1554259841.0
@theonlybezo @SethAbramson @realDonaldTrump We need more young bartenders, servers, and all kinds of service workers running for office.— martg🆘 (@martg🆘) 1554338361.0
@middlesismartha @SethAbramson @realDonaldTrump And zero billionaires.— Nathaniel Arnold (@Nathaniel Arnold) 1554338862.0
@RealSaavedra This defines “Stupid”.....really tried to use “bartender” as a demeaning label 🤦🏿♂️.Yh she was a bar… https://t.co/9MKrumSVIi— BIJI (@BIJI) 1554331594.0
And some even sent messages directly to President Trump on his Twitter feed.
@realDonaldTrump Unless you are @AOC who actually worked hard and is making something of herself. If you are @AOC,… https://t.co/WZARicfTAG— becks (@becks) 1554389268.0
On her way to Congress, Ocasio-Cortez challenged and defeated 10-term incumbent Representative Joe Crowley in the primaries. In the 2018 midterms, she defeated her Republican challenger Anthony Pappas with 78 percent of the vote.