In our limited series “How I’ll Get It Done,” rising progressive stars tell the Cut how they plan to fight for a better future.
Representative Jasmine Crockett doesn’t mince words. When Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene insulted her appearance at a hearing without getting reprimanded, Crockett memorably asked the chair if she could talk about a certain someone’s “bleach-blonde, bad-built butch body.” When one of her white male colleagues called diversity, equity, and inclusion policies oppressive, she responded with a forceful speech on the true nature of “oppression.” All that truth-telling made the then-freshman congresswoman from Dallas one of the most visible lawmakers on Capitol Hill, as clips of her committee hearings, media appearances, and Democratic National Convention speech went viral.
Crockett first got into Texas state politics after working as a public defender and a lawyer in private practice. She was a prolific lawmaker there, a trend that continued when she was elected to represent more than 750,000 North Texans in Congress in 2022. She sponsored two dozen bills and co-sponsored more than 600 during her first term. Her path to politics may not have been traditional, but she takes her power seriously. “I want other girls to feel like they don’t have to have their lives figured out and know that they’re going to end up in Congress,” she says. “I wasn’t that girl. I didn’t work on the Hill. I didn’t have family members that were in politics. I’m the first one in my family and in my generation to become a lawyer.”
Now, she is entering her second term in Congress with a higher profile and even more fire driving her than before. Crockett spoke with the Cut about becoming a standout in the party, her concerns about the incoming Trump administration, and how she stays grounded going into what is sure to be a chaotic year on Capitol Hill.
You went viral a lot over the course of your freshman term. Has all that exposure been an adjustment for you?
Absolutely. I am friends with people now that are in Hollywood, and I asked them, “How do y’all survive?” Clearly I’m not Hollywood, but my face is probably on the level of a D-lister where it is somewhat recognizable. I have to think about what state I am in, what type of reception may I get? Do I need to add a hat to my collection? I’ve tried to change my hair a number of times. I hope that people may not recognize me immediately when I’m going out with my friends and I just want to have dinner.
We can expect your second term to be different from your first because Trump is returning to the White House and Republicans are in control of both chambers of Congress. What do you want to prioritize while in a minority that won’t have the power to get much done?
I want to prioritize some of my criminal-justice work. Considering that the president-elect is a convicted felon, I have legislation that I could get bipartisan support on to make sure those that have been disenfranchised from voting are able to do so. I’ve got fentanyl-related legislation that has been bipartisan. I am hoping to continue some of the work that I’ve done in or around agriculture, like making sure that we’re addressing food deserts. Whether it’s in lower-income inner-city areas as well as rural America, we know food deserts lead to really disastrous health outcomes for those communities. It puts a strain on our entire health-care system when there’s these co-morbidities that people are struggling with just because they don’t have access to fresh food. So I’m hoping that we can work on that.
What are some of your most urgent concerns when it comes to Trump’s agenda?
As a Black woman, the attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion are significant, whether we’re talking about education, our service members, or anyone else trying to participate in the federal government. There’s also the attacks on environmental justice, which we know continues to plague lower-income communities. Also just the harm as it relates to tariffs. Taxation is going to be a huge concern, as we know that the Trump tax cuts are about to expire and I’m very concerned that they may be reauthorized. I am obviously concerned about how many more women will die as relates to not having the full access that they are due when it comes to reproductive health care. As a civil-rights lawyer, I still have grave concerns around voting rights. In places like North Carolina, the Republican Supreme Court decided that they were going to redistrict again. At this point in time, the Republicans are a minority of a minority running this country. They see the only way that they can win is by rigging the system, and we need to get back to a point of fairness.
During a conversation with Whoopi Goldberg for Interview magazine last summer, you said, “At this moment, as a Black woman in politics with a platform, it’s to do my best to educate not just my community, but the country as a whole. It’s to make them feel closer to our government, because it was always supposed to be a government of the people, and people have become disenchanted with government because they don’t feel it’s like that.” The election results feed into this conversation. How do you think the party should address this disenchantment moving forward?
When I was running for the State House, I had a guerrilla approach. It’s not the way that consultants tell you to campaign. They always are like, “Oh, it’s a waste of money. You’ve got to be surgical.” But I never had that attitude because you never know who you would touch or hit. The key is education. Teachers are often taught that they should understand scholars learn in different ways — auditory, visual, those that really need to be hands-on to learn. We need to take that same type of attitude with voters. You look at what demographic is on TikTok, on Instagram, listening to which podcast, local news, or listening to the radio as they’re driving into work. There’s also short attention spans — what does that mean for us? That we only have the five minutes that we get in committee to really get our point across. We also need to communicate as consistently as possible. We wait until election time, then try to bombard people with information. You can’t give them enough information in the short amount of time that you have during a campaign. You’ve got to make sure that you are giving them little bits consistently. We should go on the road, we should be having field hearings throughout the country. And we need to communicate with rural America because Lord knows they continue to vote for people that are not voting for policies that are helping them.
People have noticed you have a penchant for alliteration, especially during some of your most viral moments. Where do you think that comes from? Is it something that has always come naturally to you?
I’ve never really been known for alliteration until I got to Congress. But the best speaker that I am consistently hearing from is my pastor, Freddie Haynes. He is next level with everything but definitely with alliterations. I would find that when he would preach and use them, they really stuck.
You have a demanding role that will certainly become more intense once Trump assumes office. What are some of the ways in which you try to take care of yourself?
I find refuge and inspiration in the word and in faith leaders that consistently pour into me. My dad is a preacher. My pastor also calls to check on me and pray with me. My legal mentors consistently remind me that I am unique and I am exactly where I’m supposed to be. There is a group that they call the Colored Girls, senior Black women that have been in and around politics and paved a way for someone like me — they are always there to pick up the phone or send a text to. I’m headed now to go see the vice-president, who in my estimation will continue to play a pivotal role in my political future. And then there are those friends I’ve had since I was just a girl, being able to spend time with them away from it all. Just being able to let my hair down, have a spa day.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.