President Donald Trump has weighed in on Tuesday’s most shocking primary result: the shocking victory of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over Rep. Joe Crowley in New York’s primary. And his take is ... questionable. Okay, it’s extremely absurd.
Wow! Big Trump Hater Congressman Joe Crowley, who many expected was going to take Nancy Pelosi’s place, just LOST his primary election. In other words, he’s out! That is a big one that nobody saw happening. Perhaps he should have been nicer, and more respectful, to his President!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2018
To be clear: Ocasio-Cortez is a 28-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Her victory over Crowley — a pillar of the Democratic establishment and fundraising powerhouse who had been viewed as a potential next speaker of the House — is indeed a stunner. But the outcome is in no way, shape, or form because Crowley was insufficiently “nice” and “respectful” to President Trump.
Trump is probably just lying here as he tries to dance on the political grave of Crowley, a fellow New Yorker who’s been a vocal critic of his presidency. But this is an even sillier lie than usual.
Ocasio-Cortez was running in a heavily Democratic, heavily Hispanic district where Trump is not at all popular. And she was if anything an even more vocal critic of Trump on his central issue, immigration — she made her call to abolish ICE, which Crowley wouldn’t sign onto, central to her campaign.
Trump’s immigration agenda:
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) June 18, 2018
Step 1: Criminalize everyone, documented + undocumented
Step 2: Use that as justification for human rights violations#AbolishICE https://t.co/W16aWBPxZZ
She also criticized Crowley for taking campaign donations from people who had also given to Trump:
.@repjoecrowley’s #2 all-time career donor, Blackstone, profits off immigrant detention centers and funded the Trump campaign.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) June 21, 2018
Last night, Crowley was the guest of honor at a GOP fundraiser held by opioid pill-mill lobbyists and other Trump donors.https://t.co/HZa7mdi6IU
Crowley lost, in part, because he faced a strong left-wing challenger in a heavily Democratic district for which he was a poor demographic fit. He may have lost, in part, because he’s part of a corporate-funded Democratic leadership that many voters no longer find inspiring.
But he did not lose because he was too impolite to President Trump. Come on.
