While addressing the misdoings of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Texas Representative and resident badass Jasmine Crockett, who is also known for calling Marjorie Taylor Green a “bleach blonde bad, built butch body,” referred to the wheelchair-bound governor as “Governor Hot Wheels.” Because Green took swipes first, and they were in a similar vein of behavior, very few took umbrage with Crockett’s words towards MTG—except a few butthurt Republicans—but many on both sides of the aisle have taken issue with the ableism displayed by Crockett’s comment, which she did a terrible job at defending.
Can we all agree that Jasmine Crockett is genuinely awesome? Governor Hot Wheels pic.twitter.com/6e24Lw1uRN
— (@realXanderXjork) March 25, 2025
Many on the left are condoning her behavior because, well, it’s something that the Conservative right would do. The thing is, the Conservative right is the home of sh*tty people who do and say sh*tty things that harm others, including not just vocalizing ableism—you know by making fun of a disabled reporter— but also acting upon it or doing away with legislation that provides better access to care and opportunities for people with disabilities.
Abbott is human fecal matter, but that doesn’t mean that mirroring his disgusting behavior makes it right. Some would argue that it is okay because she is punching up; sure. Abbott is a white man who does privileged white man things, but she didn’t reference his privilege, she referenced his marginalization; that sure may not affect him nearly as much as others, but that is probably why it was even more inappropriate. Crockett has constituents who are wheelchair-bound and who are negatively affected by policies pushed by Abbott, which would stop them from getting the same payout he received. Honestly, so many people would have been better off had the tree hit him a bit harder; even in the harshness of putting that in writing, it still is only a slight at him because Abbott’s wheelchair is not what is harming Texas; the years he’s lived to create dangerous policies are.
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.
— Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (@RepJasmine) March 25, 2025
Literally, the next line I said was that…
Defenders of Crockett’s comments will tell you that everyone in Texas calls him that, but that does not make it right, simply because a lot of people are doing it. Hell, that’s the far-right’s entire schtick.
They have a legion of millions of idiots, but that doesn’t make their ideologies anything close to humane. They are bad people and Abbott has a personality about as pleasant as a piece of boiled and spoiled ham hock that has been festering in the Texas sun for the first week of July.
He sucks, but mirroring his nasty actions does not make him suck less.
I think we can all agree that Jasmine Crockett calling Greg Abbott 'Governor Hot Wheels' has no place in politics…
— Angela Belcamino (@AngelaBelcamino) March 25, 2025
Am I right?
Crockett may have some questionable interactions, but she is doing the work many politicians are afraid to do. However, that does not mean that delving into the other side’s tactics will make them better people or care more.
They won’t.
What they will do is weaponize a Black woman’s anger and, as Abbott showed, play victim with their responses. The far-right does not care about being bad people; they do not care about their own hypocrisy because, to them, they faithfully believe that the rules rarely, if ever, apply to them.
What they will do is use this against Crockett to find another way to call her unprofessional. It sucks because she will be viewed from a different lens, but either way, replicating the behavior of oppressive people won’t ever make you better than them.