Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOn The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline McCarthy says there will be a peaceful transition if Biden wins Anxious Democrats amp up pressure for vote on COVID-19 aid MORE (D-N.Y.) criticized the U.S. government for contributing to the conditions Central American migrants are fleeing from in an interview Tuesday.

Ocasio-Cortez told New York-based radio show "Ebro in the Morning" she and fellow progressives in Congress have been advocating for tighter restrictions on arms deals involving the U.S.

“This is like the whole thing with Iran-Contra,” she added, referring to the 1980s political scandal in which members of the Reagan administration secretly sold arms to Iran to fund the Contras, anti-government rebels in Nicaragua after Congress banned further funding to the insurgents.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Reagan administration, Ocasio-Cortez added, also saw a flood of migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border.

“This has never been about undocumented immigrants,” she said, adding that when Trump told her and Reps. Ilhan Omar Ilhan OmarOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' Democrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise MORE (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley Ayanna PressleyFauci, Black Lives Matter founders included on Time's 100 Most Influential People list Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' Pressley applauded on House floor after moving speech on living with alopecia MORE (D-Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib Rashida Harbi TlaibTrump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' George Conway: 'Trump is like a practical joke that got out of hand' Pelosi endorses Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate primary challenge MORE (D-Mich.), all of whom are U.S. citizens, “you show your hand.”

Host Ebro Darden also noted a report in which Trump allegedly questioned why the U.S. wasn’t seeing more Swiss and Swedish immigrants. “Well, bro, because we haven’t destabilized their countries,” he responded.

“And also they have single-payer health care, they have living wages,” Ocasio-Cortez added.