Ted Cruz challenges AOC on science knowledge and gets owned by his creationism
Americans are understandably concerned about Donald Trump’s decision to name Vice President Mike Pence the czar in charge of America’s coronavirus response. While Governor of Indiana, Pence failed to prevent a terrible HIV outbreak which naturally makes him the president’s choice for czar since incompetence is rewarded rather than punished in this administration.
Meanwhile, the president himself is downplaying the seriousness of the coronavirus even as the World Health Organization (WHO) upgrades its threat assessment to its most drastic level of “very high.” The White House is trying to convince Americans that the concerns about the virus are nothing more than an attempt by the media to hurt the president’s reelection chances. In short: the federal government’s response to the crisis is being hamstrung right out of the gate.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was quick to condemn the naming of Pence as czar by pointing out that the vice president “literally does not believe in science,” which is a characterization that frankly describes most members of this climate change-denying administration. AOC slammed the Pence appointment as “utterly irresponsible” and reasonably predicted that it could end up costing lives, much as Pence’s past decisions have.
Mike Pence literally does not believe in science.
It is utterly irresponsible to put him in charge of US coronavirus response as the world sits on the cusp of a pandemic.
This decision could cost people their lives. Pence’s past decisions already have. https://t.co/NhMPOusOWm
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 27, 2020
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), a man with an adversarial relationship to science and truth much like Pence, retweeted Ocasio-Cortez and mockingly called her the “oracle of science.” He asked her to tell him what a Y chromosome is, presumably in reference to the congresswoman’s defense and advocacy for transgender individuals. It was a complete non-sequitur on Cruz’s part and a crude attempt to shoehorn regressive conservative culture war talking points into the coronavirus discourse.
As you are speaking as the oracle of science, tell us, what exactly is a Y chromosome? https://t.co/t4XVVzWr3A
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 27, 2020
Cruz also injected the topic of abortion into the conversation and implied that the United States is already doing enough to fight climate change. All in all, it was the pathetic move made by a grown man looking for attention on social media.
2/x And at what age of gestation does science tell us that an unborn child feels physical pain?
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 27, 2020
3/x And, of the 195 countries on planet Earth, which country produced the greatest total reduction in CO2 emissions in 2019?
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 27, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez, never one to back down from a Republican challenge, responded by calling out Cruz for judging people’s intelligence by “the lowest income they’ve had,” presumably a reference to the frequent GOP efforts to dismiss her as stupid simply because she worked as a bartender before joining Congress. AOC defended herself by pointing out the awards she received from MIT Lincoln Lab and other institutions for her work in microbiology.
She ended the tweet with a barb about Cruz’s evolution denial, something which—like climate denial—is rampant on the right and proves that as a movement they are thoroughly and fundamentally anti-science. Republicans pander to fanatical evangelicals to win votes and in order to do that, they ignore basic scientific facts about the world.
Next time, the senator from Texas should think twice before hurling one of his bad faith attacks at the Congresswoman. He is clearly no match for her.
Sen. Cruz, while I understand you judge people’s intelligence by the lowest income they’ve had, I hold awards from MIT Lincoln Lab &others for accomplishments in microbiology.
Secondly, I’m surprised you’re asking about chromosomes given that you don’t even believe in evolution. https://t.co/vOIwJhpl7q
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 28, 2020
Sincerely,
an Intel global finalist,
a fmr multi-year intern for Sen. Kennedy,
a cum laude dual major in Economics & International Relations,
a fmr Educational Director for national organization,
Who to you is “just a bartender,”
And also your colleague.https://t.co/9ktAgXFXDE— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 28, 2020
