AOC Comments On Social Media About Trump Announcement
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., found herself at the center of yet another heated social media debate after weighing in on President Donald Trump’s escalating trade standoff with Colombian President Gustavo Petro. The feud erupted after Petro refused to accept two deportation flights carrying illegal immigrants back to Colombia, prompting swift retaliatory action from Trump. Among the measures? A tariff hike on Colombian imports—specifically targeting key goods like coffee—as well as a travel ban and visa revocations for Colombian government officials.
What are the chances @aoc admits how spectacularly wrong she was?
I’m going with zero…. https://t.co/Ad7Z7MfRAn
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 27, 2025
Trump didn’t mince words on Truth Social, calling out Petro for his decision: “Petro’s denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States, so I have directed my Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures.” Trump also noted that Petro’s refusal to cooperate undermines Colombia’s own standing, adding that the socialist leader is “already very unpopular amongst his people.”
NOT on our watch, typical politician spewing BS. We source our beans from all over the world. The price of our coffee will not increase. AOC needs to keep quiet on matters she knows nothing about. https://t.co/m1gh7DYxyz
— Black Rifle Coffee (@blckriflecoffee) January 27, 2025
Ocasio-Cortez quickly joined the fray, criticizing Trump’s actions in a fiery post on X. “To ‘punish’ Colombia, Trump is about to make every American pay even more for coffee,” she wrote. “Remember: WE pay the tariffs, not Colombia. Trump is all about making inflation WORSE for working class Americans, not better. He’s lining the pockets of himself and the billionaire class.” Her remarks immediately gained traction, racking up over 47,000 likes by Sunday evening, with Petro himself resharing her post in apparent agreement.
Or alternatively, Trump leveraged Colombia to back down on its idiotic position within one -- yes, ONE -- hour. https://t.co/CyPjgllpH4
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 27, 2025
However, not everyone was buying into AOC’s argument. Trump supporters and tariff advocates wasted no time firing back. Critics were quick to point out the complexities of tariffs—something her post largely oversimplified. While it’s true that importers pay tariffs directly to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the economic impact isn’t always a direct hit to American consumers. In fact, tariffs often trigger global market shifts. For example, major coffee producers like Vietnam and Brazil—countries that outpace Colombia in coffee production—might lower their prices or step up exports to fill any gaps, minimizing the cost impact for consumers. As one X user sarcastically noted, “Who wants to tell her there are other countries that export coffee, not just Colombia?”
AOC is so out of touch that she thought she could get conservatives mad by saying tariff wars with Colombia could lead to higher coffee prices.
What these morons don’t understand is that we want our daughters alive and safe much more than we want cheap, bitter coffee.
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) January 27, 2025
Others highlighted the strategic nature of Trump’s measures. Conservative commentator John Cardillo reminded followers that tariffs have a way of pressuring non-compliant nations to change course. “Plenty of other nations grow coffee beans,” he wrote. “We can buy the coffee from them. Colombia should take their illegal aliens back.” Indeed, Petro’s apparent defiance was short-lived, as reports surfaced of his immediate offer to transport Colombian migrants back to his country using his own presidential plane—a development that didn’t go unnoticed by critics of AOC’s post.
I love that the primary concern after a country refuses to take back their own criminal citizens is the price of a caramel macchiato. https://t.co/DHBCTPUh8E
— Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) January 27, 2025
Some went further, accusing Ocasio-Cortez of misunderstanding how tariffs work entirely. “Coffee from Colombia will increase in price, so we will purchase coffee from suppliers in other countries who do take back their illegals,” one conservative user argued. “Businesses will hesitate to invest in Colombia any further if they continue to be bad actors.”
To be fair, tariffs can result in higher prices for certain goods, and critics of protectionist policies argue that consumers often bear the brunt of these increases. But the relationship between tariffs and inflation isn’t always straightforward. Tariffs can also reduce global prices, as suppliers compete to maintain access to the massive U.S. market. With Colombia facing stiff competition from other coffee-exporting nations, the price impact of these tariffs may not be as severe as AOC predicts.