On Tuesday night, outgoing President Donald Trump upended months of congressional negotiations regarding the long-awaited COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress this week.
Democrats have slammed the bill as insufficient, with the Republican-led Senate only agreeing to a round of 600 dollars in direct relief to Americans, instead of the 1200 dollars passed earlier this year.
On that point, Trump agrees with them.
Between lies about the 2020 election, Trump signaled in the video that he'd veto the bill unless Congress passed a bill with two thousand dollars in direct relief.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called Trump's bluff and immediately set into motion legislation that would amend all mentions of a 600 dollar check to two thousand dollars, putting Senate Republicans—led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)—in the unenviable position of denying expanded relief to Americans ahead of two crucial runoff races in Georgia.
Some Republican groups are pushing back against Trump's call for two thousand dollars in relief.
Washington Post reporter Jeff Stein quoted an unnamed official from Freedomworks—the far-right Tea Party Republican group—who said:
"Trump is surrendering the argument on universal basic income ... You are not better than AOC right now"
The official was referring to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), whose progressive calls for a green new deal, Medicare for all, and universal basic income have made her a favorite target of the right.
Ocasio-Cortez, famous for her Twitter clapbacks, threw shade in response.
He definitely isn't better, that's for sure 🤣 https://t.co/DGj7dwAQSM
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 23, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez agreed that Trump "definitely isn't better" than her, and Twitter users did as well.
https://t.co/tb49nWChsq pic.twitter.com/N0C5rUoO5X
— Michael F. Lopez, Human Scum (@OOSMuppet) December 23, 2020
Imagine being such a vile person that you think it's an insult to compare someone to a woman who has been fighting for lawmakers to actually give a damn about the people they govern. https://t.co/CeB4ISl74r
— Keane (@KeaneOtts) December 23, 2020
I mean that was a given. https://t.co/czinikuza1
— moparmike (@fastesthemi) December 23, 2020
https://t.co/x6M6XtwGoN pic.twitter.com/FgGfkDmdWF
— ImJustSaiyan (@wrath852) December 23, 2020
I just cackled https://t.co/cIZJT6Xm9L
— 🎅🏿Imani Gandy Cane🎅🏿 (@AngryBlackLady) December 23, 2020
Meanwhile, Democrats are calling on McConnell to acquiesce to Trump's calls for more money.
McConnell and McCarthy are the ones preventing the #2000StimulusCheck you need to survive
And a democracy that isn't hijacked by greedy robber barons
And a judiciary that isn't awash with ultra-conservative, extremist judges most Americans reject
Make them pay in Georgia
— Lindy Li (@lindyli) December 23, 2020
.@senatemajldr, I'm ready to come back to vote for larger stimulus checks.
— Sen. Maggie Hassan (@SenatorHassan) December 23, 2020
Move, Mitch, get out the way.
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) December 23, 2020
House Democrats are preparing to pass legislation allowing for two thousand dollar checks on Thursday.
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Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images