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Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed concern during a podcast appearance Thursday over elites and cultural figures openly aligning themselves with President Donald Trump.
Numerous celebrities, including musicians and comedians, appeared at Trump’s second inauguration on Monday. Speaking on “The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart,” Ocasio-Cortez argued that Trump’s increased normalization in his second term makes him “so much more dangerous” than during his first presidency.
“What makes this go-around with Trump so much more dangerous than the first time around is … he is much more normalized this time around than he was the first time,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “The first time, people were really on edge. They were on guard. They were very vigilant about any break that he would have with these norms. This time, the norms are becoming him, like the norms are embracing him.”
She added, “Even these little things that … everyday working people may not care about, but they are strong cultural signals — Oscar de la Renta dressing all of the women [for Trump’s inauguration] — like there’s all these cultural symbols. All of these people that were scared before about being associated with him, from the most common basic level to the most elite level, they’re all-in now because this is now a billionaire feeding frenzy. It is a kiss-ass race. It is, ‘How can I show how much fealty I have to Donald Trump in order to get my digs?’”
Trump’s inauguration also reportedly received financial backing from Big Tech companies, some of which had previously banned him from their platforms.
Meanwhile, left-wing groups that planned to protest Trump’s presidency on Monday failed to gather the turnout they had anticipated. While organizers expected around 10,000 participants, the actual number was reportedly in the dozens, with protesters standing in snowy conditions amid unused megaphones.
During his inaugural address, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to reversing Democratic Party policies. He stated, “America’s decline is over,” as part of a speech aimed at framing his presidency as a path to national renewal.
