Crenshaw, Ocasio-Cortez trade Twitter barbs over Super Bowl, Kaepernick, tax rate on wealthy

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, right, who lost an eye as a Navy SEAL in Afghanistan, tweeted a shot at both the New England Patriots monopoly and the progressive ideas of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. (AP / Getty)

House rookies got into it over the Super Bowl Sunday night on Twitter.

Shortly after the New England Patriots matched the Pittsburgh Steelers as the NFL’s only six-time Lombardi Trophy winners, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, who lost an eye as a Navy SEAL in Afghanistan, tweeted a shot at both the Pats monopoly and the progressive ideas of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

He asked on Twitter Sunday night: “Should someone propose a 70% tax on the Patriots so that NFL competition is more fair and equal? Asking for a friend.”

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She hit back Monday morning, tweeting: “The average NFL salary is $2.1 million, so most players would never experience a 70% rate. The owners who refuse to hire (Colin) Kaepernick would, though.”

Kaepernick is a former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who knelt during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality and social injustice. He hasn’t played since 2017. His efforts ignited a political firestorm over whether political issues need to be addressed in the professional sports world.

Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic socialist sensation, has defended her call for a 70 percent tax rate on the upper echelon of U.S. wealth, and has emphasized that the highest tax rate wouldn’t be on all income, but would affect the “10 millionth and one dollar” and beyond.

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The eruption of high-end tax proposals is a shift for Democrats, underscoring the party’s march to the left and desire to tap into the Wall Street-rattling energy of liberal voters. Beyond its messaging power, taxing the wealthy also gives Democrats a way to propose paying for their sweeping progressive agendas.

Crenshaw made headlines late last year before he was sworn in. The incoming lawmaker got into a back-and-forth with “Saturday Night Live” star Pete Davidson after the comedian mocked his appearance.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.