Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said the Trump administration is aiming to “overwhelm” the public with “constant” developments in a Tuesday Instagram live.
“I want you all to understand that if you are watching the news right now, and you are feeling overwhelmed by all of the constant headlines and developments and what is happening,” Ocasio-Cortez said..
“First of all, know that you are not alone. And second of all, know that that is exactly what this administration is trying to get you to feel.”
President Trump has a signed a flood of executive orders that focus on stripping birthright citizenship, deportations and wiping out diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
Ocasio-Cortez compared Trump’s actions to that of a budding authoritative regime.
“What authoritarian regimes try to do is that they often try to, what is known as ‘flood the zone,’” she told her followers, noting the goal is to do “so much at once … that you feel overwhelmed and paralyzed.”
The New York lawmaker accused Republicans of trying to usher in a “state of passivity.”
Instead of being bogged down by new developments and rapid changes, Ocasio-Cortez urged viewers to rise up against the nation’s leaders.
“We need to try. I don’t want to hear, ‘Oh, we can’t do that. That’s impossible.’ That’s called consenting in advance,” she stated.
“So, when your mind says, ‘It’s all over, we might as well’ — no, no, no. … Do not be discouraged by temporary defeats. We keep going anyway. When we are relentless, they will fatigue. They can only hold this up for so long.”
Ocasio-Cortez has been vocally critical of Trump and his aim to restructure the federal government and corresponding agencies following his inauguration, targeting top officials including Elon Musk and others in social media posts.