Tea Party official lashes out at Trump for pushing more stimulus: 'You are no better than AOC'

On Wednesday, Washington Post reporter Jeff Stein quoted an unnamed official at FreedomWorks, a right-wing activist organization long affiliated with the Obama-era Tea Party movement, railing against outgoing President Donald Trump for demanding the size of the direct stimulus payments be more than tripled, from $600 per person and dependent to $2,000."

"Trump is surrendering the argument on universal basic income," said the official. "You are not better than AOC right now" — referencing progressive champion Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

The president's threat to veto the stimulus legislation, the product of months of standoffs and compromise to defuse Republican obstruction, took lawmakers on Capitol Hill by surprise. The bill passed by a margin sufficient to override a veto, but it is unclear if it will retain GOP support in an override vote.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has signaled she is willing to increase the size of the stimulus if Trump wants it.