It began when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took to Twitter to lament the fact that Vice President Mike Pence was tapped to head up the nation's response to the coronavirus.

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

Sen. Ted Cruz couldn't resist. The Texas senator decided to test Ocasio-Cortez's strict adherence to scientific knowledge by asking her to explain "what exactly is a Y chromosome," a question the congresswoman never bothered to address in her flurry of tweets in response to Sen. Cruz.

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

But Ocasio-Cortez did tout her scientific expertise by pointing to the internship she did for Sen. Kennedy, her "dual major" in international relations and economics, and her work as an "Educational Director for a national organization." All things that had absolutely nothing to do with science.

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

But the icing on the cake was the picture Ocasio-Cortez tweeted of herself standing before what appeared to be a school science fair project, setting Senator Cruz up for the perfect "clapback," as scientific expert AOC would put it.

Btw, congrats on the science fair. https://t.co/F1hDE4fKkG — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 28, 2020

Never change, AOC.