Crockett Faces Backlash for Mocking Abbott’s Use of Wheelchair

By Matthew Choi, The Texas Tribune

"Jasmine Crockett criticized over comment mocking Greg Abbott’s wheelchair" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, disparagingly called Gov. Greg Abbott “Hot Wheels” to mock his use of a wheelchair Saturday, prompting fierce backlash from Republicans.

“Jasmine Crockett is despicable,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said on social media.

“Shameful,” U.S. Sen. John Cornyn posted.

"Jasmine Crockett is the perfect spokesperson for today’s Democrats — out of touch and completely unhinged,” said Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “When you’ve got no message and no agenda, all that’s left is hate."

Crockett made the remark during a dinner in Los Angeles hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, a pro-LGBTQ rights organization. Addressing the crowd, she quipped: “Y’all know we got Gov. Hot Wheels down there. Come on now. And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot ass mess, honey.”

Abbott has used a wheelchair for over 40 years. He was struck by a falling tree in 1984 while jogging, crushing multiple vertebrae. He was 26 at the time.

Crockett is not the first to land in hot water after mocking Abbott’s disability. Then-Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt apologized in 2019 after she said Abbott “hates trees because one fell on him.” Eckhardt is now a state senator. Two staffers of Empower Texans, a right-wing advocacy group, drew condemnation from their fellow Texas Republicans in 2020 after audio surfaced of them cursing out the governor and deriding his disability.

Abbott and his team did not publicly respond to Crockett’s comments. Crockett’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Crockett is known for her withering criticisms of Republicans, emerging as a high-profile messenger for Democrats as they go on the offense against President Donald Trump. She has gone viral for her clashes with Republicans during committee hearings.

She drew particular attention when she shot back at U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, for mocking her appearance. The Georgia Republican said during a committee hearing last year that Crockett’s “fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.”

Crockett shot back in a now viral moment where she asked about the propriety of using the phrase a “bleach blonde bad built butch body,” a remark aimed at Greene. The line has since appeared on merchandise, and Crockett’s campaign applied to trademark the line last year.

Disclosure: Human Rights Campaign has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/25/jasmine-crockett-greg-abbott-wheelchair/.

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