In a Twitter thread taking aim at Buttigieg’s comments on Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez wrote: “This is a GOP talking point used to dismantle public systems, & it’s sad to see a Dem candidate adopt it.”

“Let’s talk about why Republicans are wrong on this. Just like rich kids can attend public school, they should be able to attend tuition-free public college. Here’s why,” she continued. “Universal public systems are designed to benefit EVERYBODY! Everyone contributes & everyone enjoys. We don’t ban the rich from public schools, firefighters, or libraries bc they are public goods.”

“Universal systems that benefit everyone are stronger bc everyone’s invested!” the freshman progressive lawmaker went on, adding a third reason: “When you start carving people out & adding asterisks to who can benefit from goods that should be available to all, cracks in the system develop.”