AT A GLANCE
- Vice President JD Vance attacked Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett during a Turning Point USA speech, calling her a “street girl.”
- Crockett said the remark echoed racist tropes she has heard her entire life.
- She pushed back publicly, defending her credentials, authenticity, and policy record.
- Crockett accused Republicans of avoiding policy debates while attacking her personally.
The U.S. Congresswoman Said Vance’s Remarks Were the Same “Racist Tropes” She Had Heard Her “Entire Life”
U.S. Senate candidate and Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is firing back after Vice President JD Vance took a personal swipe at her during a speech at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, calling her a “street girl” and questioning her authenticity.
Speaking on Sunday, Vance criticized Democrats heading into the 2026 election cycle, claiming the party was “not sending their best.” Singling out Crockett by name, he said, “The record speaks for itself. She wants to be a senator, though her street girl persona is about as real as her nails.” He went on to describe Crockett and other Democrats as “puppets” and “cogs in a machine” he claimed was making Americans poorer and less safe, adding that he and President Trump were working to dismantle it.
Crockett responded just hours later during an appearance on MS Now’s “The Weekend: Primetime,” calling the remark a familiar and tired attack. She said Vance’s language reflected the same racist stereotypes she has faced throughout her life.
“Anybody that you talk to knows my credentials. They know that I’ve gone to school. They know that I’m educated,” Crockett said. “But at the end of the day, I am who I am, and I am authentic.”
She added that authenticity is exactly what Republicans fear. “That is actually what they are fearful of…my authenticity, because it rings true with every single American, whether they’re a Texan or not.”
Crockett has frequently been targeted by President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly referred to her as “low IQ.” She said she refuses to be distracted by the attacks and challenged Vance to talk policy instead.
“When they can tell me about their policies that are helping Texas, then we can have a conversation,” Crockett said. “Until then, take whatever shots you want to take at me, because I have been a Black woman my entire life.”
Addressing Vance’s comments about Democrats’ “record,” Crockett turned the criticism back on him. “Baby, let’s talk about your record, because the only reason you’re the vice president is because the current President tried to have his last vice president killed,” she said, referencing Trump’s fallout with Mike Pence after Pence refused to overturn the 2020 election results.
Crockett also highlighted her own background as a University of Houston Law Center graduate and longtime attorney, noting that she was fighting for people long before entering politics.
“Whether it was in the courtroom or if it was in the streets…making sure those that were out there wanting to exercise their constitutional right to come together and protest injustices, I was representing them pro bono,” she said.
She argued that Republican attacks are meant to deflect from their policy record, particularly on health care. Crockett pointed to recent votes by Texas senators opposing the extension of Affordable Care Act tax subsidies, which she said would impact millions of Texans.
“Our two senators literally just voted against extending the Affordable Care Act tax subsidies that would help almost an additional 4 million people,” she said, referencing the Affordable Care Act. “This is in a state where we already have about 5 million uninsured.”
Crockett warned that additional cuts tied to what she described as the “Big, Ugly Bill” could result in as many as 17 million people nationwide losing health coverage.
Despite the attacks, Crockett said she remains focused and confident in her path forward. “Somehow I ascended and became a U.S. Congresswoman,” she said. “It will not be different when I become a U.S. senator. And when I get to the Senate floor, then we can talk.”
