Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has hit back at Piers Morgan after he mocked the New York Democrat’s bartending past.
On Sunday, the Good Morning Britain presenter responded to a tweet Ocasio-Cortez posted in which she criticised Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, for being too unqualified to attend the G-20 summit alongside the likes of Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron.
“Could be worse … Ivanka could have been a bar-tender 18 months ago [sic],” Morgan wrote on Twitter.
Ocasio-Cortez worked as a bartender and as a waitress at a restaurant in Union Square before she defeated Joe Crowley in the June 2018 Democratic primary race to become the youngest congresswoman in United States history.
The 29-year-old responded to Morgan’s gibe with a tweet of her own, writing: “Actually, that would make government better – not worse.
“Imagine if more people in power spent years of their lives actually working for a living,” she continued.
“We’d probably have healthcare and living wages by now.”
The discussion sparked a flurry of scathing responses from supporters of Ocasio-Cortez, with many pointing out that the politician is an elected official, while Trump is not.
“Good point, Piers. Remember when the people elected Trump’s kids and in-laws?” one person wrote.
Andrew Neil, presenter of Politics Live, added: “Not really. A bartender who makes it to Congress is quite something. A pretty blonde who marries into the billionaire class, not so much.”
Others questioned why Morgan was condemning Ocasio-Cortez for having a job.
“Bartending is a career and has requisite qualifications that are relevant to a myriad of issues,” one person wrote.
“Just being someone’s daughter is neither a career nor does it have any qualification requirement.”
Nish Kumar, a British comedian, added: “That would have been great because then she would have had a job.”
The exchange began on Sunday when Ocasio-Cortez took issue with Trump’s daughter for attended the meeting of world leaders in Japan last week.
In a video shared by Ocasio-Cortez, Trump is seen attempting and failing to participate in a discussion alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Theresa May, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Also present was Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund.
“It may be shocking to some, but being someone’s daughter actually isn’t a career qualification,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter.
“It hurts our diplomatic standing when the President phones it in & the world moves on. The US needs our President working the G20. Bringing a qualified diplomat couldn’t hurt either.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s initial tweet received 191,000 likes and more than 37,000 re-tweets.
