How is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Like Trump?

AOC, Trump, and the Social Media Playbook

Since the November midterms, 197 Democrats have made their way to DC to sit in the House of Representatives. For my money, the most interesting by far is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (or AOC as she is sometimes known).

I’m not the first to notice it, but she seems so much like another trailblazing, barn-burning politician. Like President Donald Trump, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is both loved and hated. Like him, she draws media attention the way a smartphone draws teenagers. She inspires admiration and energy in her base while driving her opponents crazy (Last week Fox news devoted an entire segment to discussing her shoes. Sound familiar?).

Ocasio-Cortez flouts political norms in many of the same ways that Trump has. It’s almost as if she’s working from his playbook. Let’s look at some areas where these two larger than life politicians are similar.

Twitter Use

Twitter is an incredibly powerful tool for persuasion in the right hands. Donald Trump wasn’t the first politician to use it, but I think it’s fair to say that his activity on the platform has been unique. Unfortunately, Democratic politicians haven’t been as effective on Twitter.