COMMENTARY: Let’s make Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez take the tax challenge

The biggest political story in America today is AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez). And I know how to produce a happy ending — at least for President Donald Trump, the GOP and capitalism. I believe I can end AOC’s political career as quickly as it began.

For all intents and purposes, AOC is now the face and brand name of socialism. That means if we end AOC, we can end America’s dangerous flirtation with socialism.

Democrats love to ask for the tax returns of high-profile Republicans. Think Trump. Democrats demand his tax returns all day long. It’s all they think about.

Think Harry Reid. He singlehandedly destroyed Mitt Romney’s presidential chances by lying about Mitt’s taxes. Harry claimed a close associate of Mitt told him the GOP candidate hadn’t paid taxes for a decade. Harry lied. No matter, Mitt never recovered. Harry bragged about it years later.

Terrible. But two can play at that game. The difference is I don’t lie, slander or commit fraud like Harry does. I just have great gut instincts and ask common-sense questions.

So let’s turn the tables on the Democrats. It’s time to “Harry Reid” AOC.

Socialism is based on taxes — lots of them. AOC’s plans all revolve around loads of new taxes. She loves taxes the way that I love America, apple pie and football. AOC’s life is taxes, taxes and more taxes. At Christmas, I bet she decorates her tree with IRS forms. At night she must dreams of fairies, sugar plums and higher taxes.

So let’s take a page from Harry Reid’s playbook. You see, I have an educated hunch. AOC was a bartender until recently. She went from bartender to congresswoman. Bartenders live on tips. They get a small salary — usually minimum wage. But most of their wages come from tips.

Did Ms. Socialist Taxes pay taxes on her tips? Did she even bother to report her tips? Inquiring minds want to know. It’s easy enough to find out. It’ll all be in black and white on her tax returns. What years was she a bartender? Are there tips listed on those tax returns?

I’m betting I know the answer.

We don’t have to go back 30 or 40 years like Democrats want to do with Trump. Or a decade as Reid wanted to do with Romney. AOC was a bartender only a year or two ago.

So here’s “the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Tax Challenge.” It’s simple. We demand to see her tax returns. We want to see if she reported her tips and if she paid taxes on them. After all, she says she wants everyone to pay their “fair share.”

But what if the gal whose middle name is taxes, who has built her brand around taxes, didn’t actually pay them herself? What if it became known that she wants 70 percent tax rates but that she’s a tax cheat?

Well that would be the end of Ms. Socialist Taxes. The political career of AOC would lay in smoldering ruins. She’d soon be back pounding the streets of the Bronx looking for bartending openings.

Even liberals would run away from her like the plague. Because no one wants the stench of a hypocrite near them. AOC’s tax cheating would destroy the entire argument of the Democrat Party that “the rich don’t pay enough.” They pay plenty compared with a tax cheat hypocrite.

Did she pay? Or is she a tax cheat? Inquiring minds want to know.

I’m betting on a happy ending.

Contact Wayne Allyn Root at Wayne@ROOTforAmerica.com. Hear or watch the nationally syndicated “WAR Now: The Wayne Allyn Root Show” from 3 to 6 p.m. daily at 790 Talk Now and at 5 p.m. on Newsmax TV.