'Always about the con': Ocasio-Cortez says 'virtually every' Trump policy designed to loot public coffers and enrich his cronies

"Since corruption isn't popular policy, racism works as the cover for the con. That's why addressing racism isn’t a 'distraction'—it's key to understanding the hustle against working people."

In a viral Twitter thread on Tuesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez detailed her view that nearly every element of President Donald Trump's policy agenda is designed to loot federal coffers and enrich himself and his cronies.

"Virtually every policy Trump pursues works to steal public money and personally enrich himself and his friends," said the New York Democrat, who said Trump deploys racism and xenophobia as a "cover for the con."

As concrete examples, Ocasio-Cortez cited the Trump administration's decision to open national monuments to corporate exploitation (which enriches fossil fuel executives), expand "border concentration camps" (which enriches private prison CEOs), and appoint Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (which enriches "loan sharks").

According to Ocasio-Cortez, the Trump administration's blatant corruption would not be possible "without relying on sympathy for racist policies. That's what Reagan's black 'welfare queen' was all about, too."

"That's why addressing racism isn't a 'distraction,'" said Ocasio-Cortez, "it's key to understanding the hustle against working people. Culturally, racism is used as the unspoken cudgel against pro-working class policy."

AOC's Twitter thread came in response to reports that, during his visit to Ireland this week, Vice President Mike Pence stayed at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg at the president's suggestion.

"Rather than spending Monday night in Dublin, the vice president stayed 181 miles away by car on the other side of Ireland—at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg," the New York Times reported. "The person who suggested he stay there was the hotel's owner himself, President Trump."

Read Ocasio-Cortez's full thread: