For liberals who lament the Democratic Party’s ongoing struggle to break through with their messaging, the emergence of Rep. Jasmine Crockett represents a rare jolt of good news.
Here, finally, is a Democrat who’s eager to tangle with Republicans on Capitol Hill and gets plenty of media attention for doing it. Someone who getsinvited onto Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show to talk about President Donald Trump and his cognitive tests.
And Crockett is game.
Now, not every member of the Democratic caucus may be on board with her approach. But in a new interview with The Conversation, she recalled the plaudits she got last year after herviral confrontation with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
“There are two little women in their eighties that are high-fiving me,” she said. “It is Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi. Two very well-known, fierce, yet definitely what you would probably consider to be older-school kind of politicians.”
Crockett added that even fellow Democrats in swing districts have invited her to help them campaign.
“Whether you agree with my style or disagree with my style,” she said, “I think people respect me for my authenticity.”
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Let’s start with the government shutdown. Millions of people could lose their SNAP benefits as soon as this weekend. We’ve seen flight delays and now the largest federal workers union is calling for Democratic leaders to stand down in this fight. What have you heard from your constituents and what is the latest from the House Democrats on this?
Honestly, this has probably been the most effective messaging that we’ve done as Democrats. When we look at the numbers, it is clear that whether you’re MAGA, Republican, Independent or Democrat, you believe that it is wrong to limit people’s access to health care in the form of getting rid of or allowing the expiration of those tax subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. And so I do think that, number one, it’s been very effective messaging. But number two, it is clear that the Democrats are fighting for the basic humanity of all Americans.
And I think that that is why we find ourselves in this very weird situation because basically the Republicans want to say, “Choose between the two impossible situations: Either people will be able to potentially eat today, but tomorrow they won’t be able to eat because of the cuts that we made in the big ugly bill, or tomorrow they won’t be able to eat because they actually will not survive to see another day.” We are only getting a preview of what’s going to happen as relates to them removing almost $300 billion from SNAP benefits. That is a very real thing that we are on the precipice of. So I will say to those that believe that now is the time to back down, I disagree. People need to understand that this is where the Republicans stand. Right now there are emergency funds that they could use so that people could continue to eat as it relates to SNAP, and the president has decided not to allow that to be used.
They’ve concluded that they can’t legally fund SNAP right now. Eventually though, for this shutdown to end, Democrats are going to have to reopen the government. They’re going to have to vote for a continuing resolution, or CR. What do you think gets them there?
As it relates to this administration caring about the law, they’ve never cared about the law. That is a cop out as it relates to this administration because they could care less about the law. But first of all, it would maybe take a president who actually wants to negotiate. This is supposed to be the guy that understands the art of the deal. He’s not made it a priority to look out for the American people ever since he swore in.
So what do I think it will take? I think that if we look at history, our last shutdown was under the same president and what it took was air traffic controllers [staying home]. As much as they beat up on our federal workers — they decide to fire them, they decide to call them lazy, all the things — sometimes it’s about showing people who’s boss. And the reality is that this government does not run without the people that actually work in it.
Let me ask you about Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. You and her are not best friends — pretty famously so. But she has crossed party lines to criticize Republicans for this looming rise in health care premiums. How do you see that move by her in the context of all of that we’re talking about?
A couple of things. Marjorie has specifically said that they could use the nuclear option if they wanted to, which is breaking the filibuster to get this done. That’s number one. She also has talked about health care costs. Now, I agree with her as much as it pains me. Right is right, wrong is wrong.
We’re saying that on the record you agree with her.
It’s on the record that Marjorie and I agree. But unfortunately, most of this was done without her really paying attention. The fact that premiums are going up is a result of the big ugly bill. When people are looking at their open enrollment letters and they’re seeing that the cost has gone up, that’s not just because of the subsidy.
It’s in large part because of the subsidies that were put in place by Democrats during Covid. So that’s certainly part of it.
Partially. For sure. What I’m trying to say is that they are adding insult to injury. We went out there and we made a big deal about the 15 to 17 million people that may be losing their Medicaid or their Medicare. We talked about that in the context of the big ugly bill. And now if you are on the Affordable Care Act, because that’s what we’re talking about, these subsidies are set to expire and right now they are not looking for a way to help you out. So it’s a double whammy.
Let me just clarify, when you talk about the big ugly bill, you are referring to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Let’s talk a little bit about you though. You have emerged as a high profile voice in the Democratic caucus and rather quickly. How do you define your role within the party? And what do you think you sort of uniquely contribute to the party’s national message?
You know, I feel like I’m on an island sometimes. I do feel like the weirdo sometimes.
Why is that?
Because how quickly it’s happened. And there was really no playbook for how to effectively communicate. I’ll be perfectly honest, because one of the things that people complain about Democrats with is how we communicate, right?
But as someone who has been a trial lawyer, who probably was one of the most recent ones who had come to Congress straight from court, I understand how to talk to people. And frankly, I’ve just been literally just talking the same way that I will walk in and I have to pick a jury and people are coming from all different backgrounds. Yet at the same time, I have to make sure that I know the law because I’m going to have to make arguments to the judge. I understand who my audience is. I also understand that it’s not necessarily the most effective to only talk to those news outlets that cover political issues. I understand that everyone is impacted politically, whether they want to pay attention to politics or not. And so it’s important to meet people where they are.
But it can feel really weird sometimes, because for instance, you brought up my bestie Marjorie Taylor Greene. That was pretty early on in my political career as it relates to being a member of Congress. And I can remember walking on the floor the very next day, it was a very late night.
Are you talking about the exchange with the eyelashes and the bleach blonde?
I am, I am. The very next day, I walk to the floor, we’re doing votes before we fly out. And there are two little women in their eighties that are high-fiving me. It is Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi. Two very well-known, fierce, yet definitely what you would probably consider to be older-school kind of politicians. They have been in politics forever and they’re older, but they are feisty and they know how to get things done.
And then I would say that the middle-aged group, those that I would consider to be aunties, those that are in their sixties were really like, “Uh, we don’t know about this.” They were the ones that were like, “Ahhh.”
Then of course the people that are in my class and near my class, they were all fine, but it was very interesting to see that.
That’s one of the things that people don’t understand about where we are is that there are these generational groups.
The age group does kind of also mesh with ideology in some ways. I’m curious about your relationship with some of the more moderate House Democrats. Have you ever been told to tone it down by some people that may not like your communication approach?
I’ve never gotten that from what I would consider to be most likely a frontliner. Most of our frontliners, those are the ones that are moderates. People have said that “on their behalf,” but none of them have ever said anything to me. And frankly, I have been invited to many of their districts. They’ve got people that are like, “Hey, can you get Jasmine Crockett to come to the district?” And I am always nervous about — as big of a figure as I am, Fox News loves to talk pretty negatively about me — to kind of walk into some of those spaces because I never want to hurt anyone. But frankly, that’s not been my experience thus far.
I think at the end of the day, whether you agree with my style or disagree with my style, I think people respect me for my authenticity. They never feel like they’re getting someone different. They feel like they know exactly who they’re getting.
When I was on the Ag committee, and even now that I’m not on the Ag committee, there are groups that make a point to bring farmers to me to talk because at the end of the day, I am just blatantly honest. And I think people respect it, even if they don’t like how I deliver it. That’s one reason I’ve not caused any consternation for so many of these moderates. In addition to that, the final point that I’ll make about this is that when they do their polling, “they” being the opposition, the Republicans, and they’re trying to figure out a polarizing figure that they can tie, say, this more moderate member to, then they start running ads and they say, “Oh, this person’s going to be just like this radical over here.” Well, they’ve not used me at all anywhere in the country.
You have gained the attention of right-leaning media, of the president who does tend to bring you up quite a bit. When you see clips of him talking about you or of you on Fox News, do you see that as a good thing, as a bad thing? How do you process that attention?
I process it as they believe that I’m a threat. Listen, you’re not talking about anybody who’s not relevant. That’s just the reality. No one is wasting capital on anyone that is not relevant and so even when I look at the fact that every other week, I don’t know how he manages to work myself and AOC into conversations, but I do believe that they see us as threats and they are trying to thwart those threats before they rise too much.
Why do you think that they’ve tried to elevate you and others like AOC to become the faces of the Democratic Party?
I think that personally they are threatened. When you look at AOC, AOC is the highest-fundraising member in the U.S. House, period. Above Democrats, Republicans, that is number one. When you look at the crowds that she garners, when she goes out, that’s a scary thing for him, right? And a lot of the people that I believe that he wants to appeal to, AOC is one of the few people that can actually break through. I would argue that as much as I go against him, I would imagine that I get some of those folk too.
I remember when we were doing our art competition in my district, and obviously it’s open to all the kids in the district. And I remember a father coming up to me and telling me, “I appreciate you for doing this competition. My daughter loved participating. I am a Republican, but I love you.”
I have been in all kinds of cities, in airports and otherwise where people walk up to me, and of course they don’t have an R on their forehead, but they tell me that they have a difference when it comes to politics, but they love me. And so I think it is that that actually concerns him.
You are in California right now working on Prop 50, which is the redistricting proposition in California. Redistricting has been the subject of many a story in many a state these days. Your state has been impacted by their recent Texas redistricting. The new map is still obviously held up in courts, but your district is changing. I’ve heard you talk about the potential of a Senate run. How seriously are you weighing that?
I am seriously weighing it to the extent that I’m about to spend a lot of money to get data. I will tell you that I personally believe that Texas needs to do something different if they want a different result.
I’m curious what you think the Democratic Party’s brand is right now, how voters see it, and what you say to people who think that the Dems are not fighting hard enough.
We are not perceived as fighters, and we are perceived as weak. And this isn’t me. This is someone who traveled the country on behalf of not only Joe Biden, but Kamala Harris, and had real conversations. Don’t just put me in donor rooms trying to get money. Put me out in the streets. Let me talk to the people. It’s tough to have that perception.
And I think it is because we’ve been the party of empathy. I mean, we care. We are fighting now, really, really hard about health care because we care. And so there are those that look at that as weak. They are looking for the people that will give you this rhetoric around how, you know, “immigrants are evil and we’ve got to crush them,” right? Like they’re looking for that type of stuff, but you know, it’s only because they’re supposed to be criminals. And now people understand the reality is that, no, you just have some people that have decided that they wanted to inflict harm on anyone that did not speak “the chosen language” or who had maybe a little too much melanin or whatever the case may be.
And even as you brought up Marjorie, she even has diverged on this point as well and talked about this is not the way to do immigration [enforcement]. Now she’s complaining about her construction business and her friends that have construction businesses. But these are very real realities. They have continued to disparage people that have contributed to this country. And so I think the reality is starting to set in that maybe all that macho stuff isn’t necessarily what we want. What we need is people that are going to be strong and fight for the most vulnerable amongst us.
And I think that that is the brand that I have set out for myself, is that I want to fight for the American dream. I believe that it shouldn’t matter what zip code you were born into, you should have an opportunity to ascend. And I think that the con man in charge conned people into believing that all the ills that you’re experiencing, whether it is crime in your community or whether it’s the jobs that you don’t have, it is because of these other people.
