On Monday, U.S. oil prices fell below zero for the first time ever, shocking observers and raising doubts about the solvency of oil and gas companies coming out of the coronavirus crisis and the oil selling war between Saudi Arabia and Russia. These negative prices were distressing news for the U.S. economy, threatening the livelihoods of oil and gas workers and the availability of the gasoline Americans will need after the crisis ends. Yet Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) saw them as a reason to celebrate.

“You absolutely love to see it,” AOC tweeted. “This along with record low interest rates means it’s the right time for a worker-led mass investment in green infrastructure to save our planet. *cough*”

In other words, AOC found the negative prices not only a reason to celebrate but another excuse to push her radical Green New Deal legislation. Except, the Green New Deal would not be “worker-led,” of course. The green big government boondoggle would not just devastate America’s energy sector and cost all those workers their jobs, but it would require the government to tax the life out of the rich, the middle class, and probably the poor, too.

But you know what they say, never let a n opportunity — oh, sorry, I mean a crisis — go to waste, right?

Even Ocasio-Cortez seems to have had some shame, however. She deleted the tweet but not before it had been saved for eternity.

House Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) was among those calling out AOC’s despicable words.

“Oil & gas workers are losing their livelihoods. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s response was ‘you absolutely love to see it.’ Then she deleted it because she doesn’t want people to see the truth: Dems are willing to sacrifice people’s jobs & livelihoods for their radical socialist agenda,” Scalise tweeted.

Oil & gas workers are losing their livelihoods. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez's response was "you absolutely love to see it." Then she deleted it because she doesn't want people to see the truth: Dems are willing to sacrifice people's jobs & livelihoods for their radical socialist agenda. pic.twitter.com/0uMnlRVM6a — Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) April 21, 2020

AOC had retweeted independent journalist Brandon Smith, who noted that “oil prices [are] now at ‘negative values,’ meaning oil producers have to pay people to take it off their hands and store it because when demand plunges (like now), that is less expensive for them than building more storage and/or shutting wells down.”

After deleting her original retweet, AOC retweeted Smith again, this time omitting the celebration over an economic downturn that will cost roughly 145,000 people their jobs. She did call the situation an “opportunity,” however.

“This snapshot is being acknowledged as a turning point in the climate movement,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “Fossil fuels are in long-term structural decline. This along w/ low interest rates means it‘s the right time to create millions of jobs transitioning to renewable and clean energy. A key opportunity.”

This snapshot is being acknowledged as a turning point in the climate movement. Fossil fuels are in long-term structural decline. This along w/ low interest rates means it‘s the right time to create millions of jobs transitioning to renewable and clean energy. A key opportunity. https://t.co/UqT8DI5u2I — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 20, 2020

To be fair, it seems AOC is a true believer. She’s not celebrating oil and gas workers’ misery — she’s dismissing it as incidental to this opportunity for enacting her green utopia.

“Now is the time to create millions of good jobs building out the infrastructure and clean energy necessary to save our planet for future generations. For our economy, our planet, and our future, we need a [Green New Deal],” she tweeted.

Now is the time to create millions of good jobs building out the infrastructure and clean energy necessary to save our planet for future generations. For our economy, our planet, and our future, we need a #GreenNewDeal. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 20, 2020

AOC may be a true believer, but that doesn’t make her any less dangerous. The kinds of renewable energy she champions cannot meet the demands of today’s American grid, and a forced transition would not “empower” anyone but the government, which would become increasingly totalitarian as the green dream falls apart.

Tyler O’Neil is the author of Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Follow him on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.