AOC eviscerated over anti-police rant after NYC mayor gives officers raises
The 'Outnumbered' panel discussed their reactions to her remarks as certain violent crimes in the Big Apple continue to soar.
"Outnumbered" panelists sounded off on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after she said the increased funding for NYPD officers’ pay is "misplaced" and argued the move was ultimately "defunding safety."
Ocasio-Cortez commented on the city’s violent crime crisis and police funding on "The Daily Show" Monday, claiming that violence should be treated as a mental health issue rather than resorting to incarceration. She went on to say that most police officers are paid more than teachers who have a master’s degree.
Her comments came as new security footage showed a Bronx man smashing a bottle over an unsuspecting police officer's head before attacking her partner.
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FOX Business host Charles Payne weighed in Tuesday and called Ocasio-Cortez out for spewing "elitist BS."
"She was standing there as an officer of the law, a peacemaker. Someone premeditated, walks up with a bottle in their pocket, smashes her in the head, and [AOC] is talking about someone with a master's degree?" Payne said in a fiery speech.
"This is based on elitism." Payne continued. "‘Well, the people with master's degrees?!’ These are folks who put their lives on the line: police officers, fire department, first responders. They're always underpaid. In New York City, they're severely underpaid."
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2021/06/05: U. S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at the rally where she endorsed progressive candidates in upcoming election for city wide offices in City Hall Park.(Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images))
He concluded by calling for first responders to be paid as much as the city can offer and encouraged residents in AOC’s district to think about who they’re voting for.
"Outnumbered" co-host Kayleigh McEnany fact-checked AOC’s claim. She reported that rookie cops earn between $42,000 and $55,000 per year. Teachers with master’s degrees, she said, earn more than $68,000.
"She is wrong on her facts," McEnany told panelists.
"And AOC, I want you to put on a uniform, put on that badge, go out on those streets, and let's see how long you last being a police officer on the streets of New York."
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Co-host Harris Faulkner countered McEnany, saying she wouldn’t want someone like AOC serving as a police officer. Faulkner instead encouraged the far-left lawmaker to consider the people who come to her aid in times of crisis.
"The next time she puts herself in a position where she has to call 911, let's think about who has to answer that call," she said.
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Payne added that New York elites like AOC are not looking out for the underrepresented and disadvantaged communities they claim to represent.
"They are never looking out for you. They're looking at the people at the top of these skyscrapers in midtown Manhattan. Bottom line," he said. "And you'll always come out at the bottom of the ladder – you, your family and generations after you – if you keep voting in AOC."
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