Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) was rightfully pressed by CNN host Jake Tapper on Tuesday over her past remarks suggesting that the way Latinos talk about immigration reminds her of the “slave mentality.” Crockett’s divisive comments are now overshadowing her newly announced Senate campaign.
Tapper directly quoted Crockett’s statement from a Vanity Fair article: “It almost reminds me of what people would talk about when they would talk about kind of like slave mentality and the hate that some slaves would have for themselves.” Tapper then asked if the million Latino voters in Texas who backed President Trump “all have slave mentality?”
Crockett immediately retreated, denying her quote applied to all Latinos. She tried to deflect the blame, claiming Trump voters “do not believe in what they’re actually getting.”
Her candidacy is already drawing massive scorn from Texas Republicans who see her extremism as a gift. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) publicly called her a certainty to lose.
Abbott wrote that Crockett is “about to learn the hard way that most Texans are very different from her district, her base & her values.” He promised she’ll be “pummeled for her progressive socialist agenda & get crushed by the Republican nominee for Senate.”
President Trump echoed the sentiment, telling reporters, “She’s a low-IQ person. I can’t imagine she wins.” Trump added, “I’ve watched her for the last two years. I can’t even believe she’s a politician, actually.”
The firebrand lawmaker claimed on CNN she is not aiming for Trump voters but rather trying to speak to communities that have been “historically ignored.” Texas has not elected a Democratic senator in 37 years.