Once again, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is demonstrating her shaky understanding of the job she was elected to do in what she called one of the “three chambers of government.” Yesterday, she was obviously ticked off when Donald Trump, Jr sent out a meme on Instagram mocking her love for socialism, even in the face of the specter of the actual consequences of socialism on view in Venezuela, where people are starving and eating anything they can get their hands on, including zoo animals and even beloved household pets.

(source)

Representative-elect Ocasio-Cortez was not amused, and fired off a threat on Twitter:

I have noticed that Junior here has a habit of posting nonsense about me whenever the Mueller investigation heats up.

Please, keep it coming Jr - it’s definitely a “very, very large brain” idea to troll a member of a body that will have subpoena power in a month.

Have fun! https://t.co/oQ6MsdJYCk

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) December 7, 2018

Warning that it is stupid to troll someone who will join a body with subpoena power is clearly a threat to use that body’s power to retaliate. There is no other reason to mention that power. Conservatives immediately responded with tweets like this:

The House prohibition on the very kind of threat that @Ocasio2018 just made to @DonaldTrumpJr couldn't be clearer: lawmakers are "prohibited from threatening punitive action" against people/groups for not politically supporting the lawmaker. Ethics Committee should investigate. pic.twitter.com/NNIPp1vsyv

— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) December 7, 2018

Even CNN noticed, and resported on a number of the responses.

Ocasio-Cortez’s response on Twitter in essence admitted that she was making an empty threat:

For the GOP crying that this is a “threat” - I don’t have power to subpoena anybody.

Congress as a body, GOP included, has the power. No indiv. member can issue a subpoena unless they are a Chair (which, as a freshman, I can assure you I will not be). Also must be under purview.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) December 7, 2018

The “I didn’t know what I was talking about” defense is not exactly the strongest argument, but it’s the best she could come up with, apparently.