FOLLOW US

Earlier this week, congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke with Yahoo! News after her visit to the United States Southern border. The House representative made claims about migrants facing orders to drink water out of toliets, something which officials staunchily denied. Ocasio-Cortez also expressed concerns about the nation of America, as a whole. According to her, the country is descending into fascism.

A Closer Look at AOC's Statements on Fascism and America

In a nutshell, the congresswoman maintains that the Trump administration bears responsibility for her concerns about fascism. She also opined that under the current administration, government has taken a more "authoritarian" turn. In the congresswoman's own words: "Are we headed to fascism? Yes. I don’t think there’s a question. If you actually take the time to study, and to look at the steps, and to see how government transforms under authoritarian regimes, and look at the political decisions and patterns of this president, the answer is yes." Ocasio-Cortez previously referred to detention centers at the United States border as "concentration camps" while livestreaming on Instagram last month. This is a word choice which many Americans viewed as problematic.

Claims of Fascism and Support for a Bigger Government

Ocasio-Cortez is no fan of the Trump administration, Border Patrol, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in general. As a matter of fact, she has publically called for the abolition of ICE; this is something which many conservatives and officials at the border pushed back against. Others have questioned why Ocasio-Cortez views an abolition of ICE as a solution to issues underway at the Southern border. Despite this congresswoman's belief that America is becoming a fascist nation, she is still supportive of policies which expand government's control. Examples of the aforementioned policies include Medicare-for-All, the Green New Deal, reparations, "free" college, etc. These proposals, if successful, would strengthen the government's power and also raise taxes on American citizens. Some people may argue that the best way to resist fascism is to support a smaller, less powerful government, not a bigger, stronger one. Finally, during her Yahoo! News interview, Ocasio-Cortez stated that she has nothing to say "directly" to President Trump: "What do I want to say to him directly? I have never had any desire to say anything to him. I just haven’t."