Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called out an infuriating double standard between herself and white man Paul Ryan

We can always count on Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to tell it like it is. The newly appointed congresswoman has proved time and again that she knows how to draft an expert Twitter clapback, and she is serious about enacting change even if others doubt her. Ocasio-Cortez just did it again—by calling out a major double standard between herself and former Representative Paul Ryan in a recent tweet. On December 10th, the representative-elect retweeted a post from Vox’seditor-at-large Ezra Klein in which he wrote, “I gave Paul Ryan the benefit of the doubt. I was wrong.”

In her own tweet, Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that although she and Ryan were both elected to the House as 28-year-olds, their reception was markedly different.

"Double standards are Paul Ryan being elected at 28 and immediately being given the benefit of his ill-considered policies considered genius; and me winning a primary at 28 to immediately be treated with suspicion & scrutinized, down to my clothing, of being a fraud," she wrote.

Double standards are Paul Ryan being elected at 28 and immediately being given the benefit of his ill-considered policies considered genius; and me winning a primary at 28 to immediately be treated with suspicion & scrutinized, down to my clothing, of being a fraud. https://t.co/KipcyHaaAb

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 10, 2018

Ocasio-Cortez has already faced more than her fair share of backlash since she emerged on the political scene in June 2018. After she spoke frankly about struggling to afford housing in D.C. in the three months before taking office, she was widely mocked and belittled online, with one reporter attempting to invalidate her experience by sharing a picture of her in a suit. The conservative media has wasted no time in attempting to make her look inexperienced and unqualified at every turn.

The abilities, experience, and intelligence of women—and especially women of color—are called into question every single day. But make no mistake: women like Ocasio-Cortez have every right to a seat at the table, and we look forward to a day when sexist and racist double standards are a thing of the past.