Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas is defending her remarks about her state’s governor, Republican Greg Abbott.
Crockett referred to Abbott, who is in a wheelchair, as “Governor Hot Wheels” during a Human Rights Campaign dinner in Los Angeles on Saturday.
“Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there,” Crockett said. “And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot (expletive) mess, honey.”
On Tuesday, Crockett denied allegations that she was referring to Abbott being in a wheelchair.
“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 X.
Abbott, who was paralyzed from the waist down by a tree that fell on him while running when he was 26, has been a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and bussed migrants to predominantly Democratic cities form 2022 to 2024. Texas spent over $148 million dollars on the program, according to NPR.
Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY on Tuesday evening about Crockett’s comments.
Republicans react, despite “R” word use by Musk
Republican critics pounced on Crockett’s statement, though members of the party have taken heat for using derogatory language about disabled people as recently as Tuesday.
Musk has repeatedly used the “R” word to describe people with whom he disagrees. And during his first presidential campaign, Trump mocked the disability of New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski.
“Recent polling shows Crazy Crockett as one of the leaders of the Democrat Party. This is who they are,” the National Republican Congressional Committee, wrote on X.
Fox News reported Tuesday that Texas Republican Rep. Randy Weber is planning to introduce a resolution to censure Crockett.
“Meanwhile, the actions of Jasmine Crockett – stooping to vile levels of discrimination and despicable political attacks – are nothing short of reprehensible,” Weber told the outlet
Crockett wrote on X that she’s “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 continued: “Keep that same energy for all people, not just your political adversaries.”
More about Rep. Jasmine Crockett
Crockett, 43, is seen as an up-and-comer in the Democratic party and has made herself known nationally through a series of spats with hardline Trump supporters in Congress. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently called Crockett out following the representative’s sharp criticism of Elon Musk.
Crockett was elected to the House in 2022. She represents the 30th Congressional district in north Texas that includes portions of Dallas and Tarrant counties.
Crockett went viral in November after criticizing “multiple white (Republican) men” who “argued that they are being oppressed,” she wrote in an X post referring to a House Oversight Committee’s discussion of the “Dismantle DEI” bill proposed by Republican Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas.
Contributing: Jonathan Limehouse
