MSNBC's "Morning Joe" broke away from its daily grievances with President Donald Trump Friday to accuse Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) of economic illiteracy and helping reelect the president.
For seven minutes Friday morning, the show's hosts and guests worried that the self-proclaimed Democratic-socialist was flaunting her ignorance and celebrating the loss of American jobs. "Morning Joe" co-host Joe Scarborough lamented that New York "was robbed of this Amazon opportunity" at the expense of the most needy.
Amazon announced Thursday it would no longer be building a second headquarters in New York City. Explaining the dramatic reversal, the tech giant pointed the finger squarely at local opposition. "[A] number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City," it said.
Ocasio-Cortez had spoken against the move since November, complaining that Amazon would be receiving tax breaks. On Thursday, she took to Twitter to celebrate the city's loss. She claimed she had "defeated Amazon's corporate greed." The "greedy" company's move was forecast to create 25,000 jobs and inject billions of dollars into the economy, and had the support of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D.) and other veteran party leaders.
Anything is possible: today was the day a group of dedicated, everyday New Yorkers & their neighbors defeated Amazon’s corporate greed, its worker exploitation, and the power of the richest man in the world. https://t.co/nyvm5vtH9k
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 14, 2019
The plan was killed, Scarborough said, by "people who don't even understand basic economics." In opposing Amazon's arrival, Ocasio-Cortez "ignored over 80% of Latinos in the New York area and 70% of black Americans in the New York area who needed these jobs, who wanted these jobs."
Donny Deutsch explained that Ocasio-Cortez had aligned herself with the "white morons in Manhattan" against New York's working class. Not one to miss an opportunity to mock the president, he marveled that Ocasio-Cortez had managed to out-bungle him. "Who would have thought on a day our portly president declared an emergency, it would be the second-most inane move of the day," he said.
Deutsch warned Ocasio-Cortez and her outlandish policy preferences would guarantee another four years of Trump as president. Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed a series of policy aims that drew equal parts alarm and ridicule from both parties, though 2020 Democratic hopefuls have lined up to endorse it. It proposes updating every building in America, skyrocketing taxes, and seeking to eliminate airplanes. Deutsch explained:
You attach this to the Green Deal and ... President Trump now gets to go: 'Oh, the Democrats don't want jobs, the Democrats doesn't want companies coming to your neighborhoods, the Democrats have a Green Deal that wants a 70% tax rate, ... socialism. We are in a dangerous place and if people in the party doesn't start to speak up against people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who is young and dynamic but does not know what she's talking about, they're going to hand the presidency back to Donald Trump.
The president has spoken out more forcefully against socialism and massive government expansion in recent weeks, perhaps testing out a 2020 message. He will be in Miami Monday for a speech on what the White House describes as the "dangers of socialism."
"I find [her]extremely dangerous at this point," Deutsch said.
Republican strategist Susan Del Percio agreed. "Once again she shows how little she understands not just economics but even unemployment," she said. "She needs to learn basic things about what it is to be a representative." The comments received no pushback from the "Morning Joe" hosts.
Co-host Mika Brzezinski suggested some tips for Ocasio-Cortez. "She needs to follow some of the more successful, more mature members," Brzezinski said. "I watch AOC with a lot of hope but I'm cringing, and I would love to give her some advice."
"Even if the ultimate responsibility is not laid at her feet, you don't celebrate the loss of 25,000 jobs on Twitter," Scarborough said.