New York’s Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has given her detractors some food for their hatred this week after the politician unveiled some new arrivals at her campaign shop.
Among the highly scrutinised collection, that featured clothing with such imprints as “drink water & don’t be racist”, “green new deal” and “student debt” (with slogan crossed-out), one item in particular stood out – a $58 sweatshirt that came with a slogan “TAX THE RICH”.
Thanks!
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 2, 2020
Preorders are open now :) https://t.co/J973Ot2VAt pic.twitter.com/yY7SpOG4VD
As the news of available pre-orders for the item were announced on AOC’s Twitter account, the online crowd could not but mock the eye-popping price tag on the clothing that was set to help Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign fund her socialist agenda. To many, the New York representative’s move was nothing else but blatant hypocrisy.
“Only the rich can afford this idiotic sweatshirt”, political commentator Ben Shapiro reacted to the merch’s release.
Only the rich can afford this idiotic sweatshirt pic.twitter.com/PpVaBl8J6V
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) December 3, 2020
“Imagine talking about taxing the rich AND selling a sweatshirt featuring three words for $58. This is downright comical. It's almost like she doesn't believe her own public stances...” The Daily Caller’s David Hookstead noted.
AOC is selling a TAX THE RICH sweatshirt for $58! You truly can't make this kind of stuff up.
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) December 3, 2020
Imagine talking about taxing the rich AND selling a sweatshirt featuring three words for $58.
This is downright comical. It's almost like she doesn't believe her own public stances... pic.twitter.com/M8nMvF8jXM
Selling a $58 sweatshirt to own the capitalists is the most @AOC thing ever 😂 pic.twitter.com/sLpX2DY5Qf
— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) December 3, 2020
Socialist in the streets, capitalist in the tweets
— Latinos for Liberty (@Latinos4Lib) December 2, 2020
AOC rushed to calm her critics, saying that Republicans were “freaking out” now as her team was apparently not using “slave-wage labor for merch” in a bid to fund “grassroots organizing.”
“But what’s the difference between Trump’s merch and ours? Ours is made in the US,” she proudly claimed on Twitter, a statement that has been disputed ever since.
Republicans are freaking out bc we don’t use slave-wage labor for merch that funds grassroots organizing.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 3, 2020
But what’s the difference between Trump’s merch and ours?
Ours is made in the US. 🇺🇸
(& for GOP who joke that we shld give 👕 for free, we actually do - just volunteer 😉) https://t.co/35DnbFYQyC
Not everyone was convinced by the congresswoman’s explanation though, with many social media users continuing to point out the discrepancy between her “TAX THE RICH” clothing and socialist agenda.
“Most average working-class folks still can't afford a $58 sweatshirt, so the irony is palpable,” one user commented on her reply.
Also people are mocking @AOC merch because she’s railing against capitalism by literally engaging in it. https://t.co/l0ufbVKgUw
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) December 3, 2020
That's an entire shifts worth of money for someone making minimum wage. Is it a lot in comparison to major retailers? No, but it's a lot in comparison to what most working class people make. It's a little ironic that it's being marketed to the working class. 🤷♀️
— Kel, seasonal depression edition ✊⛧🦇💀🥀 (@keleidoscopical) December 3, 2020
In the wake of the backlash, AOC’s shop has introduced a new item – the $27 tee-shirt featuring the same vivid inscription in capitals “TAX THE RICH”.
“The sweatshirt Fox News loves to hate, now in a tee,” the clothing’s specification reads.
The original sweatshirt still features on the website for the same price as initially advertised, although it is now described in its blurb: “as complained about on Fox News.” As of Sunday, the garment had been sold out, despite its staggering cost.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is known as an outspoken supporter of socialist policies, including “Medicare-for-all” and a “Green New Deal”. As a vivid critic of capitalism, AOC has pushed for the abolition of billionaires as a class, claiming that their existence was not only “immoral” but also threatening to American democracy.
