Most of this week has been an epic dumpster fire of fail with regards to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) digging in on her absurd comparison of border detention centers to Nazi concentration camps. Thankfully, we’re able to end it on a good note with some bluff-calling by Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23).
On Wednesday, McCarthy blasted AOC for her remarks and called on her not just to apologize to America “but the world”:
At a press conference, the House GOP leader told reporters that the freshman congresswoman owed the U.S. and the world an apology for comparing detention facilities operated by the Trump administration to Nazi-era concentration camps throughout Europe, where millions of Jews were murdered.
“I think Congresswoman AOC needs to apologize,” McCarthy said, referring to Ocasio-Cortez. “Not only to the nation but to the world. She does not understand history.”
“She does not understand what is going on at the border at the same time. But there is no comparison…and to actually say that is really embarrassing,” McCarthy added.
Even as Holocaust experts corrected her for the record throughout the week, the freshman Congresswoman continued to go on a tear, insisting she was right and declaring she would not apologize nor back down over an assertion she was clearly wrong about.
On Friday, AOC tried to turn the tables on McCarthy, and demanded he apologize for the situation at the border:
As long as the @GOPLeader supports jailing children and families on the border, I will continue to hold him to account for it.
That’s why I’m calling on Rep. McCarthy to apologize for aiding and supporting the separation of children from their parents.pic.twitter.com/ogHXY7pD3p
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 21, 2019
McCarthy, in turn, was not having it, and called her out on her refusal – and her party’s refusal – to consider the Trump administration’s request for emergency border funding that would help alleviate the crisis she claims to care about (h/t: Twitchy):
You and other Democrats have blocked funding 17 times for humanitarian aid at the border. Want to end the crisis? Fund @HHSGov and #BuildTheWall. https://t.co/WzT5BQhoHr
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) June 21, 2019
Crenshaw, who earlier this week smoothly debunked Ocasio-Cortez’s claims, provided a helpful assist to the GOP House leader:
If we had a media that did their job, they would ask the ‘concentration camp’ demagogues a very simple question:
“How do you propose we fix this? Why won’t you support the budget request for more resources?”
Or “do you just want open borders?”
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) June 21, 2019
I’ve seen criticisms from some people that the players in this debate need to get off social media and work together towards a solution. But what the critics don’t understand is that social media is AOC’s weapon of choice, and she has an outsized influence on the national conversation thanks to the massive amounts of followers she has, and thanks to the national media’s round-the-clock fawning coverage of her.
Republicans like Crenshaw, McCarthy, and Rep. Liz Cheney (WY) clearly understand that the best way to embarrass her into doing something – or at the very least expose her ignorance – is to take her on on her own turf.
On Wednesday, McCarthy retweeted out this video that demonstrates just how bad the crisis on the border actually is – and the reason there is a crisis is due to lack of funding which, according to Republicans, will run out this week. Watch as U.S. Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost talks about how agents are bringing in toys and clothes that they bought with their own money for the children at the detention centers:
.@RepMichaelGuest asked @USBPChief Carla Provost what she thought of comments referring to border patrol stations as "concentration camps"
Watch her response ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/pPW0jWpU5o
— House Homeland GOP (@HomelandGOP) June 20, 2019
There is a humanitarian crisis at the border because Democrats like AOC would rather play politics by refusing to provide HHS with the supplemental funding they need. The mainstream media won’t call them out on this, but Republicans like McCarthy, Crenshaw and others will. Good for them.
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—Based in North Carolina, Sister Toldjah is a former liberal and a 15+ year veteran of blogging with an emphasis on media bias, social issues, and the culture wars. Read her Red State archives here. Connect with her on Twitter.–
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