Donald Trump has retweeted an attack on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, calling the New York Democrat “an embarrassing, barely literate moron” after she claimed that billionaires are a product of “modern day slave wages”.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez made the comment during an interview on Martin Luther King, Jr, Day, saying that billionaires do not make themselves, because they rely on thousands of low-wage workers to build their fortunes.

“No one ever makes a billion dollars. You take a billion dollars,“ Ms Ocasio-Cortez said.

She continued: “I'm not here to villainise and to say billionaires are inherently morally corrupt. ... It's to say that this system that we live in, life in capitalism always ends in billionaires.”

Mr Trump later retweeted a post sharing an article based on the interview by Fox News host Mark Levin, who is known for his right-wing political beliefs and endorsement of candidates like senator Ted Cruz. He was briefly declared himself as “Never Trump”, but eventually endorsed him in 2016 after Mr Trump won the Republican nomination. Mr Trump also shared several other tweets by Mr Levin on Wednesday, ranging from attacks on the impeachment effort against the president and CNN hiring decisions.

Mr Trump shared the conservative host's tweet on Wednesday, amid a series of retweets sharing Mr Levin's views (Twitter screenshot)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez greets fellow lawmakers ahead of the State of the Union address Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez participates in an event with Democratic members of Congress EPA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures The Democrat senator speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol January 30, 2019 Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and fellow Democrat Rashida Tlaib AP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the Senate chamber to watch two votes on January 24, 2019 Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez arrives with Chellie Pingree at a House Democratic Caucus meeting Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez during Donald Trump's State of the Union address Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures New York State Assembly member Catalina Cruz with Ocasio-Cortez AFP/Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Nydia Velazquez talks with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez casts her vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House EPA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez poses with a campaign worker during a whistle stop in the Queens borough of New York Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez outside the US Capitol AFP/Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez after casting her ballot in the 2018 midterm general election at a polling site in New York EPA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez looks on during a march organised by the Women's March Alliance in Manhattan Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio Cortez looks on at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 16, 2019 AFP/Getty

“AOC is such an embarrassing, barely literate moron,” Mr Levin wrote, using the three-letter shorthand often used for Ms Ocasio-Cortez.

Mr Trump claimed his wealth to be as high as $10 billion during the 2016 election, but independent estimates by Forbes and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index peg him as having a net worth closer to $3.1 billion or $2.48 billion, respectively.

But his fortune was not built alone, and biographers have attributed much of his wealth to inheritance and gifts from his father, Fred Trump, who established a real estate empire in New York City during the 20th Century.