During Thursday's 'Fight Oligarchy' tour, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) discussed President Trump's support of billionaires and Elon Musk's role in the government.
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NewsTranscript
00:00We're going to take our country back! Thank you everyone. Thank you so, so much for having me.
00:07My name is Alexandria. Some of you may know me as AOC.
00:15So happy to be back in Las Vegas.
00:20My home is a ways from here, but in truth the distance between us is a lot shorter than we think
00:28or even that we're told. And I want to thank each and every one of you
00:35for making the effort to be here today. Thank you all so, so much.
00:42I know a lot of you have had to make lots of plans and carpool and figure out how you're
00:47going to get here. Louder! And we don't... Pardon? Louder! Louder, okay. Okay, thank you.
00:55People in the back, thank you for helping. Is that good? All right, thank you. And I have to
01:00tell you, thank you Nevada because there's so many more people here than we even anticipated.
01:08We are at capacity today.
01:13And how many of you, for whom, how many of you here is this your first political rally?
01:20Let's give them a big round of applause. Thank you all so much for getting in the game.
01:25And I want to thank who here is also getting in the game after not being as involved in politics,
01:30not knowing so much, who feel called and compelled. Thank you, welcome, welcome.
01:36And I want to be the first to say I don't care who you voted for in the past.
01:41You may have voted for Donald Trump in the past. You may have voted for Kamala Harris.
01:48You may have not voted at all in the past, but I want you to know that,
01:58but you are here regardless of all of that. You are here today. And I want to thank you for that.
02:06In fact, we're all here together because we share in the frustration and the heartache
02:14that comes from watching those in power actively tear down or refuse to fight for
02:22everyday working Americans like us. And we are here together because an extreme
02:30concentration of power and corruption is taking over this country like never before.
02:37But we are also here today because we know that a better world is possible.
02:49But to get there, we need to be honest about where we are
02:53because we are witnessing an oligarchy in America.
02:58And that is when those with the most economic, political, and technological power destroy
03:08the public good to enrich themselves while millions of Americans pay the price.
03:17And we are at a point where the wealthiest people in the world, like Elon Musk,
03:24and all the Republicans enabling him, are turning to loot what is left of Medicaid,
03:34Medicare, and Social Security to bankroll even deeper tax cuts and sweetheart contracts for
03:42themselves, their fellow billionaires, and their corporations. And our political system right now
03:52is ill-prepared for this abuse of power. In fact, our political system enables it,
04:00starting with the role of money in politics. But I am here to remind you that we are not
04:08powerless in this moment. People are starting to put the pieces together. And ironically,
04:18the most divisive forces in our country are actually starting to bring more of us together.
04:25And that is important because the billionaire and the elite class derives their power from dividing
04:34working people apart along lines of left or right, race and gender, creed and culture.
04:44They will throw every label and judgment and cultural debate at us in the book to keep us
04:52distracted and from realizing that the only division that is truly hurting our country the
04:59most is the endless greed by those at the very, very top, at the cost of everyone else.
05:07And that is why it has always been up to us, the working class of America.
05:17Our power comes from remaining focused, together,
05:21and building a movement where there is a place for everyone.