A little over two weeks ago, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) exchanged some heated words on Twitter when Ocasio-Cortez condemned President Donald Trump's appointment of Vice President Mike Pence as the response director to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With thousands of cases now diagnosed throughout the United States, officials are urging Americans to practice "social distancing"—declining handshakes, keeping six feet away from others, and not going out unnecessarily.
Ocasio-Cortez repeated that recommendation on Twitter.
To everyone in NYC but ESPECIALLY healthy people & people under 40 (bc from what I’m observing that’s who needs to… https://t.co/nuH9JrTKDG— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)1584202389.0
This time, she got a notably different response from Cruz.
Good advice — not just for NYC, but everywhere. If you can stay home, stay home. And wash your hands. https://t.co/WOcTclI7Ki— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz)1584225416.0
People were pleasantly surprised to see the Trump supporter commend one of Trump's most vocal critics.
Ted Cruz retweeting AOC about #coronavirus social distancing. Clearly this is the end of the world. https://t.co/em1koX7zXG— China Uncensored (@China Uncensored)1584282446.0
Rare bipartisan agreement! https://t.co/Wevtu1ljHn— Sarah McCammon📻 (@Sarah McCammon📻)1584282839.0
@tedcruz Is Ted feverish ?— Devin Nunes’ cow 🐮 (@Devin Nunes’ cow 🐮)1584232213.0
Now this is getting weird https://t.co/xGBWuPZsz7— Lauren Middleton (@Lauren Middleton)1584319241.0
Cruz himself recently had to self-quarantine after interacting with someone who tested positive for the virus at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
The agreement of Cruz and Ocasio-Cortez signaled just how serious things have become in the face of the pandemic.
If these two are agreeing, you know its real... https://t.co/NkQg8Kr3aL— Chris Horn (@Chris Horn)1584290573.0
Ted Cruz and AOC agree on something. They both think you should stay home whenever possible. If you are encouragin… https://t.co/Ao8vxIyTwr— Matt Lane (@Matt Lane)1584228872.0
This is where we're at. Ted Cruz is saying AOC is giving good advice. This is how serious this is. https://t.co/nB4YYqZFGl— Dan Slott (@Dan Slott)1584281679.0
While the team-up was surprising, it isn't the first time the two have crossed ideological lines.
In the summer of last year, AOC and Cruz said they would co-sponsor legislation that would make it harder for former members of Congress to use their connections as lobbyists after becoming private citizens.