U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett delivered a blistering condemnation of Republicans during a fiery congressional exchange recently.
The outspoken congresswoman accused the GOP of empowering white supremacist groups while refusing to hold meaningful hearings on racist violence and domestic extremism in America.
“Proud Boys are freaking white supremacists. Neo-Nazis are too,” Crockett said during remarks posted to social media. “And this president, who loves to coddle white supremacists, has decided that they should be given checks.”
The Texas Democrat’s comments came as Republicans held a hearing criticizing the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization known for tracking hate groups and extremist movements. Crockett argued lawmakers were prioritizing attacks on civil rights organizations instead of confronting the growing threat of white nationalist violence.
“We still haven’t had a real hearing on the rise of white supremacist violence, the lives lost, or the extremist groups empowered by dangerous Republican rhetoric,” Crockett wrote in an Instagram post accompanying the video.
Throughout her remarks, Crockett repeatedly linked the January 6 Capitol attack to extremist organizations including the Proud Boys and neo-Nazi movements, arguing that some convicted participants are now being politically rehabilitated and potentially financially rewarded.
“This country still hasn’t thought that reparations made sense for Black folk in this country,” she said, “but at the same time they’ve decided that people that are in organizations that are absolutely white supremacy organizations should get our tax dollars because they decided to tear apart or attempt to tear apart our democracy.”
Crockett referenced what she described as a nearly $2 billion taxpayer-funded “slush fund,” claiming it could benefit individuals connected to January 6-related cases.
She accused Republicans of hypocrisy for promoting “law and order” while supporting individuals convicted in connection with the Capitol riot.
The congresswoman also criticized what she called broader Republican efforts to minimize or ignore America’s history of racism and racial violence.
During her speech, Crockett cited several high-profile killings and mass shootings connected to white supremacist ideology, including the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, the 2015 massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church, the 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting, and the 2022 Buffalo grocery store massacre.
“All of these were murdered by white supremacists who are empowered by the Republican Party’s racist rhetoric and policies,” Crockett said.
The lawmaker also criticized voting restrictions she said disproportionately affect Black Americans, comparing some voter identification requirements to modern-day poll taxes.
“When you tell somebody that they’ve got to go and pay for something, say like a passport that costs over $100 in order to be able to vote, that looks like a poll tax to me,” she said.
Crockett further accused conservatives of attempting to suppress honest discussions about racism and American history in schools.
“You don’t want real history taught in our schools because you’re afraid that it’s gonna hurt people’s feelings to know that their ancestors were so savage that they would enslave Black folk,” she said.
Her remarks quickly circulated online, drawing praise from supporters who said she forcefully addressed issues surrounding racism, voting rights, and political extremism, while critics accused her of inflaming partisan tensions.
