Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) says she leaned into President Donald Trump’s repeated insults for a simple reason: they tell voters exactly why she believes she’s the Democrat best positioned to take Texas’ U.S. Senate seat.
Speaking with CNN’s Laura Coates, Crockett explained why her campaign launch video opens not with her biography or policy platform, but with a montage of Trump mocking her—an unconventional choice in a state where Democrats have struggled to break Republican dominance.
“If the president cannot keep my name out of his mouth, then who is it that would be better to make sure that they are in the U.S. Senate to hold him accountable?” Crockett said. “I am the one that he is afraid of. I am the one that the Republicans fear.”
Crockett argued that GOP leaders—including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott—are revealing their anxiety through their fixation on her. Abbott has frequently attacked her on social media, and Crockett framed that attention as a strategic tell.
“If they really wanted me as the nominee, they would be quiet and just wait and hope to crush me,” she said. “But they know my strength.”
A Strategy Rooted in Confrontation—And in Mobilizing Disengaged Voters
Crockett, who rose to national prominence during contentious House hearings last year, is betting that directly confronting Trump will energize groups Democrats often struggle to mobilize in Texas: young voters, disillusioned voters, and those who feel disconnected from state and national politics.
She told CNN that her ability to connect with people “who historically have not wanted to participate in politics or had just given up” is central to her Senate strategy.
“And that is how we are going to win in the state of Texas,” she added.
Trump’s Attacks as Political Currency
Trump has attacked Crockett repeatedly at rallies and online, often singling her out during broader tirades against the Democratic Party. While Republicans dismiss her claims of being a political threat, Crockett is flipping those moments into a rallying cry—and using them to frame herself as a fighter capable of going toe-to-toe with the GOP’s most dominant figure.
It’s a risky strategy in a deeply conservative state, but also one that reflects new political math: Democrats cannot win in Texas without high turnout from voters who don’t normally show up.
Crockett appears to be betting that Trump’s outsized presence can help solve that turnout problem—and that the more he talks about her, the more legitimate she looks as a statewide contender.
