AT A GLANCE
- The NAACP distanced itself from influencer Luis Magaña after backlash over posts criticizing U.S. Senate candidate Jasmine Crockett.
- Magaña was accused of perpetuating misogynoir after sharing a clip of Crockett and engaging in heated exchanges with Black women political influencers.
- The dispute escalated when Magaña doctored an image of Elizabeth Booker Houston into a racist caricature before later apologizing.
- The controversy unfolds amid an already tense Democratic primary between Crockett and James Talarico, who recently called separate viral allegations a “mischaracterization of a private conversation.”
“Don’t Use Us As a Justification for Your Views,” Said the Civil Rights Organization
The NAACP is distancing itself from a political influencer who found himself at the center of an online firestorm over criticism of U.S. Senate candidate Jasmine Crockett and what critics described as hostility toward Black women.
The controversy intensified after Luis Magaña, who runs the social media account @RogueDNC, pushed back on accusations that he harbors disdain for Black women.
“If I hate black women how come one nominated me to get an NAACP award for my community work helping people of color???” Magaña wrote, referencing recognition he received from a local NAACP chapter in Greater Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Magaña had shared a clip from an older interview in which Crockett discussed Israel and its military operations in Gaza. Crockett, who faces a closely watched Democratic primary against state Rep. James Talarico on Tuesday, has faced scrutiny from some progressive activists who argue she has not taken a strong enough stance against Israel.
“How disappointing. Not a good look for Ms. Crockett,” Magaña captioned the clip, which featured Crockett in conversation with Lynae Vanee, host of the Instagram series “Parking Lot Pimpin’” and Revolt TV’s “The People’s Brief.”
The dispute comes as the Crockett Talarico race has already been roiled by separate controversy involving a viral TikTok video from Texas political creator Morgan Thompson. Thompson alleged that Talarico privately described former Congressman Colin Allred as a “mediocre Black man,” a claim Talarico later called a “mischaracterization of a private conversation,” saying his critique was about campaign strategy, not race.
Vanee publicly rebuked Magaña after seeing the post.
“Do not ever in your life think it’s okay to use me to perpetuate misogynoir against any black woman,” Vanee said. “When both Jasmine and James have similar voting records on the issue of Gaza, and both of them have the same stance supporting defensive weapons to Israel, while stopping offensive weapons — it’s overtly clear that you simply don’t want this black woman to win. And you’re scared that she could beat him.”
She continued, “I completely understand why Jasmine’s answer in that clip is unfavorable. But why are you acting like James has not said directly out of his mouth that Israel has a right to defend itself, that he supports a two state solution, and that he himself has been on the receiving end of Zionist funding, when again — Jasmine has not. You wanna fake like you’re leftist and pro-Palestine then at least have the same energy for both of them.”
Magaña responded by suggesting his critics selectively supported his commentary.
“I don’t see your support when I post Cori Bush or Summer Lee so cut out this lazy ass argument,” he wrote.
The dispute escalated further after Elizabeth Booker Houston shared what she described as a direct message exchange with Magaña. In response to her criticism, Magaña photoshopped Houston’s image into what critics described as a racist caricature.
“A quick reminder that Luis Magaña aka RogueDNC is a talentless hack who cannot make it in the political commentary space on intelligence or skill, so he has resorted to antagonizing and tokenizing Black women while pretending to hold progressive values that only make racist white leftists like him,” Booker Houston wrote.
As screenshots of the exchanges circulated, the NAACP issued a statement clarifying that the organization would not be used as cover in the dispute.
“Everyone has the right to share their opinions, and we fully respect that. But let’s be clear: the NAACP won’t serve as a buffer in this debate; therefore, don’t use us as a justification for your views, especially when it comes to issues that impact Black women,” the civil rights organization said. “We celebrate the voices and experiences of Black women and believe they deserve to be at the forefront of these discussions. Let’s keep the conversation authentic and respectful. Not focused on our org as justification for position.”
Magaña later apologized for altering Houston’s image.
“Hey all. I was educated on the history of racist caricatures by a mutual and apologize for my racist photoshop liquify,” he wrote. “This person has been bullying me for months and didn’t want to reply to her mean DM so I did what I thought was a funny photoshop. I apologize and thank those who talked to me with decency and respect.”
The episode has sparked renewed debate about misogynoir in political discourse, the role of influencers in shaping narratives, and how institutions respond when their names are invoked in online conflicts.
