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Trump compares AOC to 'young child' in attack on Green New Deal

President calls the deal ‘socialist take over of the US economy’

Louise Hall
Thursday 06 August 2020 19:40 EDT
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Trump criticizes Green New Deal and compares AOC to child

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President Donald Trump has criticised the green new deal while hitting out at Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), comparing her to a child.

During his remarks at Whirlpool Corporation Manufacturing Plant Mr Trump called the deal a “socialist take over of the US economy”, calling it “horrendous”.

He quickly moved on to lambaste AOC, who “conceived” the deal. “AOC plus three I say. AOC, that’s a real beauty isn’t it,” Mr Trump says, referring to ”the squad” – a group of progressive freshmen lawmakers elected during the 2018 midterms.

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,” Mr Trump concludes.

The comments come as senator Kamala Harris and representative Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday introduced a climate equity bill that AOC has stressed has Green New Deal roots.

“The Democratic Party is now finally starting to embrace what many activists have long advocated: climate policy must be driven by and centred around frontline communities,” she said in a release, The Hill reported.

“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.”

Mr Trump and Rep Ocasio-Cortez have clashed a number of times in the past over the Green New Deal, an ambitious environmental plan to combat climate change that AOC originally unveiled in 2019.

Republicans have claimed the Green New Deal would devastate the economy and lead to a huge tax increase and Mr Trump personally ”declared war” on the deal.

The US Senate defeated the proposal however this new legislation, which has just been finalised, 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.

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