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Cruz calls Ocasio-Cortez 'parasite sucking on the taxpayer' over billionaire remarks
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Cruz calls Ocasio-Cortez 'parasite sucking on the taxpayer' over billionaire remarks

The Hill · May 12, 2026, 8:29 PM

Key takeaways

  • Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Monday called progressive firebrand Rep.
  • I recognize for her –– given that she was a bartender –– that is probably true, and there is no disrespect to bartenders, Cruz told Fox News s Sean Hannity.
  • Ocasio-Cortez, a potential Democratic contender for the 2028 presidential election, made her case about billionaires while on the podcast It s Open with Ilana Glazer on Thursday.

Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.

Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Monday called progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) a parasite sucking on the taxpayer after she claimed that Americans can t earn to become billionaires.

I recognize for her –– given that she was a bartender –– that is probably true, and there is no disrespect to bartenders, Cruz told Fox News s Sean Hannity. Bartenders are an honorable profession. But she went from that to being a government employee and a parasite sucking on the taxpayer.

Ocasio-Cortez, a potential Democratic contender for the 2028 presidential election, made her case about billionaires while on the podcast It s Open with Ilana Glazer on Thursday. She said that the accumulation of wealth up to a certain level is unearned.

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