AOC deletes tweet saying she ‘loved’ to see US oil prices at record-low after being accused of cheering job losses

New York Democrat Ocasio-Cortez had said ‘you love to see’ oil’s price crash, but Republicans disagreed

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has deleted a tweet that celebrated the crash of the oil market which said: “You absolutely love to see it.”

As the price of US oil dropped to minus $37 a barrel on Monday, the Democrat had said on Twitter that the crash was an opportunity to ‘save the planet’.

“You absolutely love to see it,” wrote Ms Ocasio-Cortez. “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*”

Those comments were criticised by Republicans such as Texas congressman Jodey Arrington, who retorted: “I don’t ‘love to see’ oil & gas workers & their rural communities suffering as a result of this devastating price collapse, @AOC.”

Mr Arrington added: “’Places like West Texas & hard-working men & women in the oil patch power the bright lights of NYC...including the hospitals!”

The high-profile Democrat then deleted her initial tweet before posting a more sympathetic response. Ms Ocasio-Cortez called the moment “a turning point in the climate movement.”

She added: “Fossil fuels are in long-term structural decline. This along with low interest rates means it‘s the right time to create millions of jobs transitioning to renewable and clean energy. A key opportunity.”

Ms Ocasio-Cortez has been a prominent supporter of a Green New Deal that would see the US economy turn towards greener energy sources, whilst addressing income inequality.

Oil prices rebounded on Tuesday after US oil prices turned negative for the first time on record.

The market crash came as oil producers began running out of space to store surplus oil created by the slowdown in the world’s economies during the coronavirus pandemic.