Rep. Jasmine Crockett is in hot water for her comments about Gov. Greg Abbott, whom she called “Governor Hot Wheels” in a speech on Saturday.
Amid backlash, Crockett made a post on X claiming she meant to attack Abbott’s “terrible policies,” not his disability.
“I wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition — I was thinking about the planes, trains, and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by Black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable,” Crockett wrote on Tuesday. “Literally, the next line I said was that he was a “hot a— Mess,” referencing his terrible policies.”
In interviews with Politico, disability rights advocates said that although Crockett has supported programs that help people with disabilities, her comments were counterproductive.
“If the Democrats want to be as inclusive as they claim they do and ensure that people with disabilities are actually recognized as being welcome under their political umbrella, then you have to be thoughtful about your words,” Emily Ladau, a disability rights advocate and author, told Politico. “And when Crockett made that joke, she was really punching down, and she knew that she would get a laugh.”
In her X post, Crockett added that the outrage she’s facing was “yet another distraction” and linked a Texas Tribune article about the cost of Abbott’s policy to bus migrants from federal custody to other states.
“I’m even more appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump — a man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities — are now outraged,” she wrote.
Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, became paralyzed in 1984 after a tree fell on him while he was running. The governor responded to Crockett during an appearance on Fox News’ Hannity.
“It’s one reason why Texas is going to remain red and why Republicans are going to continue to win elections across the country,” Abbott said. “The bottom line is that Republican states like Texas are leading the way, and with comments like this by Democrats, we will just leave them in the dust in future elections.”
Chase Bearden, executive director of the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, told Politico that government officials across the political spectrum should “stop using someone’s disability as the basis of an insult.”
“Lawmakers of all stripes should spend their energy crafting and implementing policy that serves all Americans, not mudslinging,” he said.
Read more at ABC News and Politico.
