Ocasio-Cortez fires back at Trump after he denies white supremacy is a rising threat

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has criticised Donald Trump after he denied that there is an increase in white nationalism – and that it is a global threat.

Taking to Twitter, AOC wrote: “White supremacists committed the largest # of extremist killings in 2017.”

What the president is saying here: “If you engage in violent acts of white supremacy, I will look the other way.

Understand that this is deliberate. This is why we can’t afford to sit on the sidelines.

In her Twitter post, she linked to a tweet by the Southern Poverty Law Centre (an organisation that monitors hate groups) revealed a 50 per cent increase in white nationalist groups between 2017 and 2018.

Her words come after Trump said he does not see white nationalism as a rising global threat after 49 people were killed a racist attack on two mosques in what is the worst mass shooting in New Zealand history.

Asked by a reporter on Friday if he saw “white nationalism as a rising threat around the world”, Mr Trump replied: “I don’t really. I think it’s a small group of people that have very, very serious problems.

I guess, if you look at what happened in New Zealand, perhaps that’s a case. I don’t know enough about it yet. They are just learning about the person and the people involved. But it’s certainly a terrible thing.

Trump's words were met with widespread criticism.

This isn’t the first time Ocasio-Cortez has criticised the US president for his racial views. Earlier this year the Democrat congresswoman, in no uncertain terms, called Trump a racist.

Asked by Anderson Cooper if she believed he “is a racist,” she replied:

“Yeah, yeah, no question.

When you look at the words that he uses, which are historic dog whistles of white supremacy, when you look at how he reacted to the Charlottesville incident, where neo-Nazis murdered a woman, versus how he manufactures crises like immigrants seeking legal refuge on our borders, it’s night and day.

Word.

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