Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D‑TX) sparked backlash this week after claiming that Americans who support President Donald Trump are mentally ill. The White House quickly responded, calling her remarks offensive and elitist, and encouraged her to meet Trump’s base directly.
Crockett made her comments in an interview with Katie Couric, stating, “It is sick, it is really sick and anybody that supports it is also sick.” She claimed support for Trump reflects a mental health crisis in the United States and asserted that President Biden’s cognitive abilities are “supreme” compared to Trump’s.
Crockett went on to add, “We’ve got a mental health crisis in this country because everyone, no matter how you affiliate yourself, should be against Trump, period. This is not partisan for me.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned Crockett’s statements during Thursday’s press briefing. Leavitt labeled the remarks “incredibly derogatory,” noting that they insult nearly 80 million Americans who voted for President Trump.
“The America first movement, which President Trump has built, is filled with hardworking patriots. The forgotten men and women, business owners, law enforcement officers, nurses and teachers and Middle America, as we all know from where you all grew up outside of this Beltway. That’s who makes up this president’s movement… And Jasmine Crockett should go to a Trump rally sometime, and she can see it for herself,” Leavitt stated from the podium.
Leavitt also stated that Crockett’s rise within the Democratic Party is a political gift to Republicans. She emphasized that such rhetoric further exposes the Democratic Party’s disconnect from everyday Americans. According to Leavitt, instead of engaging with policy or respecting political differences, Democrats like Crockett resort to name-calling and character attacks.
This clash reflects a broader trend in today’s political landscape: increasing hostility and contempt for opposing voters. Crockett’s comments did not just target President Trump but dismissed millions of citizens as mentally unfit for their political views.
