The Washington Post just a few days ago reported on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis selling “Don’t Fauci My Florida” T-shirts, all while noting new coronavirus cases were near the highest in the nation. We certainly didn’t get the impression the Post was trying to advertise the shirts (they did anyway), but the Reagan Battalion noticed Monday that Reuters seemed to think it was breaking that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was getting into the merchandise business.
.@Reuters is officially advertising @AOC’s online store today.
They have tweeted this “breaking news” at least nine times today! pic.twitter.com/0oDrSDEb6H
— Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) July 19, 2021
This is the 9th tweet today Reuters has published on this.https://t.co/T7gikKPWVuhttps://t.co/Dt9hEHBMVXhttps://t.co/zjrfRKthAHhttps://t.co/z5ZwAGXud6https://t.co/cdYGeDzD0Ohttps://t.co/TMUwROYXjVhttps://t.co/Cqt4AMfP6zhttps://t.co/TSznnt7wRn
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 19, 2021
— Truth Matters (@truthmattersfa) July 19, 2021
Do you guys have an affiliate deal with AOC?https://t.co/UMhUzXHoGc
— Kevin Dalton (@NextLAMayor) July 19, 2021
We probably missed a few:
Branding the U.S. left: AOC makes a push into political merchandise https://t.co/UiejxCUdeF pic.twitter.com/EiI3EnWiFQ
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 19, 2021
Reuters reports:
U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became one of America’s most prominent progressive Democrats with her calls to tax the wealthy and spend heavily to fight climate change.
Now she is investing heavily in her online store, selling T-shirts, sweatshirts and other merchandise with her name, “AOC” initials or slogans including “Tax the Rich” and “Fight for our Future,” efforts aimed at both fundraising and building the second-term lawmaker’s profile nationally.
Did you know Vogue had her on their cover and did a piece on her skincare routine?
👕 AOC is now selling merchandise
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become one of America's most prominent progressive Democrats with her calls to tax the wealthy and spend heavily to fight climate change https://t.co/aw8GSyEQhB 1/5 pic.twitter.com/7MbXqdYFgo
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 19, 2021
📢 ’Tax the Rich’ 📢 ‘Fight for our Future'
Now she is investing heavily in her online store, selling merchandise with her name, initials and slogans as a fundraising effort and profile-building exercise 2/5 pic.twitter.com/jiWngtO4FJ
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 19, 2021
💰 Her campaign paid a political merchandise firm more than $1.4 million in the first six months of 2021, according to campaign disclosures to the Federal Election Commission.
That’s more than many lawmakers spent on their entire re-election efforts during the period 3/5 pic.twitter.com/YbctYfMlkG
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 19, 2021
While she has no formal party leadership role, AOC has star power rarely seen in Congress.
📱She has more than 8 million Instagram followers
📹She shot a video for Vogue detailing her personal skincare routine.Her online store capitalizes on her fame, experts said 4/5 pic.twitter.com/T29wZxRxOT
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 19, 2021
Did you know AOC has an online merch store?
⚡️ AOC breaks into the merchandise market https://t.co/k3b4iny1g4
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 19, 2021
⚡️ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is investing heavily in her online store, selling T-shirts, sweatshirts and other merchandisehttps://t.co/k3b4iny1g4
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 19, 2021
⚡️ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez breaks into the merchandise market https://t.co/k3b4iny1g4
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 19, 2021
⚡️ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is investing heavily in her online store, selling merchandise with her name, initials and slogans as a fundraising effort and profile-building exercise https://t.co/k3b4iny1g4
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 19, 2021
As we said, we might have missed a tweet or two, but there’ll be a new one along in an hour or two.
— Dan (@Dman1_1976) July 19, 2021
and @Reuters needs to be heavily invested in putting their pants back on.
— Sean Agnew (@seanagnew) July 19, 2021
This. Is. Not. News.
— Jake Jolly (@jjolly74) July 19, 2021
Sounds like Reuters is also investing heavily in AOC's online store.
— Monsieur Miller (@NatrlBornMiller) July 19, 2021
Dear editor at Reuters…..dude….she’s still not going to go out with you.
— MarkDaugherty (@MarkDaugherty) July 19, 2021
— Braum Lincoln (@BraumLincoln) July 19, 2021
In-kind campaign contributions
— Mantis Toboggan M.D. (@MantisT0boggan) July 19, 2021
Doesn’t seem like a very newsy thing worth mentioning 9 times in one day
— pATricK (@ThinBlueMoon) July 19, 2021
I’m sure they sent out a tweet for Mitch McConnell’s store 9 times also. Right?
— Pat Iossa (@patiossa) July 19, 2021
Isn't everything basically print-to-order at this point? Not sure what "investing heavily" even means.
— American Journalists Publish Chinese Propaganda (@JohnEkdahl) July 19, 2021
Well Bob, it looks like Reuters is "heavily invested" in her merch store, if you know what I mean.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 19, 2021
Plenty of time for four or five more times today
— GlennAC (@GlennAC14) July 19, 2021
I guess Reuters is selling ad space now.
Or allowing people to piggyback on their SEO position.
— Gjergj Kastrioti (@Skanderbeg1405) July 19, 2021
Well, they wouldn’t want her venture to fail, would they?
— Chris McKeever 🇺🇸 (@TheRealMcKeever) July 19, 2021
Maybe they're affiliate links for kickbacks
— Censored (@zackintosh) July 19, 2021
Reuters probably gets 18% of every AOC shirt sold.
— Cee Gee (@CeeGeeThree2) July 19, 2021
Unreal. Imagine if @AOC invested this heavily in her constituents.
And the other obvious question: What does @Reuters get in return for providing @AOC with all this "free" promotion?
— Curve Serve (@CurveServe) July 19, 2021
Reuters is her advertising firm.
— Joe Blow (@JoeBlow54976038) July 19, 2021
What a news story this is. Great job journalist of @Reuters
— Cori Britt (@CoriBritt1) July 19, 2021
Looks like she’s slid into life as a two-faced politician like a glove
— Dziec (@DJohns84) July 19, 2021
She's a good little capitalistic socialist.
— Carpet Bomber of Truth (@CarpetTruth) July 19, 2021
Full on capitalism.
Actually all socialists do is benefit from capitalism and continue to speak against it.
— Dwight K Schrute (@hfgrowth) July 19, 2021
Is this newsworthy?
— Disruptive Jesus (@m3sinajesus) July 19, 2021
I can't name a nationally recognizable politician without an online store. This isn't news, @langejason
— Carlos 🍥 (@rlosLugo) July 19, 2021
We’re assuming all of the proceeds are earmarked for her campaign fund, so we don’t imagine she’ll be sending a cut to her abuela in Puerto Rico to fix her roof.
* * *
Update:
Sean Spicer was among those calling out the democratic socialist, but she replied that selling T-shirts isn’t capitalism:
Not sure if you know this Sean, but transactions aren’t capitalism.
Capitalism is a system that prioritizes profit at any & all human/enviro cost.
But fwiw our shop is unionized, doesn’t operate for profit,& funds projects like free tutoring, food programs,& local organizing.🌱 https://t.co/RPnMlg0mpS
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 19, 2021
Related:
Wealthy socialist AOC passionately defends her decision to allow her poor, ailing Puerto Rican abuela to live in unacceptable conditions https://t.co/dgnleQhNJU
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 3, 2021
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