Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) defended her past political rhetoric on Friday during an appearance on The Breakfast Club radio show, pushing back against accusations that Democrats’ language has fueled political violence. The remarks come just days after conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University (UVU) on Wednesday.
Crockett, an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump, said her descriptions of him as a “wannabe Hitler” were harsh but metaphorical, not calls for violence. “I’ve literally never said anything to invoke violence,” she said, drawing a distinction between criticism and incitement.
The White House took sharp aim at her comments. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Newsweek: “Jasmine Crockett is the queen of divisive rhetoric and it’s despicable that she would try and point fingers at President Trump for the assassination of his dear friend, Charlie Kirk.”
Kirk’s killing is the latest in a troubling wave of political violence that has shaken the country over the past 15 months, including the June assassination of a Democratic lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota, an attack on Israeli embassy staff in May, and the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The violence has escalated against the backdrop of two assassination attempts on Trump during the 2024 campaign.
On Friday, Crockett pointed to what she described as a “culture of violence” promoted by Trump and his supporters, referencing his past rally comments urging attendees to “beat up” protesters. She contrasted those remarks with her own criticisms, saying, “Me calling you wannabe Hitler… is not necessarily saying, go out and hurt somebody.”
Charlamagne tha God, the show’s co-host, suggested both parties bear responsibility for inflammatory rhetoric. “I think we all incite—whether we think we do or not,” he said, noting Democrats have also labeled Republicans as fascists.
Crockett, however, argued that rhetoric only crosses a dangerous line when it explicitly endorses physical action. “We’ve got to talk about what it looks like when you don’t promote a culture of violence,” she said.
