House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett have always appeared to have a solid working relationship, but what he didn’t say during a recent press conference is just cause for perpetual side-eyes.
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On Tuesday, Jeffries, who in 2023 became the first Black person to lead either party in Congressional history, was asked what he thought about Crockett’s announcement that she’s running for Senate.
“She’s an incredibly talented individual, a hard worker and a fighter, and she’s going to be a very formidable candidate,” Jeffries said, in a respectable but noticeably evasive answer.
While cordial, his response was…weird, considering this is the same Crockett he appointed to the new Jan 6 subcommittee in September and the same Crockett he’s stood beside while condemning ICE. If you didn’t know better, you might have thought he barely knew her. Cue Keke Palmer: “I don’t know who this [wo]man is.”
When pressed specifically about whether he would endorse Crockett, he replied, “I’m obviously focused on the House, not the Senate,” and swiftly shifted the conversation toward the failures of the Republicans and Trump.
The thing is, Jefrries focus wasn’t on the House in September, when he “strongly” endorsed Congresswoman Angie Craig for U.S. Senate. But for Crockett, he tossed a polite deflection, suggesting that the reporter could reach out to Chuck Schumer and “and the crew over there” for a take on the Senate race.
It is possible that Jeffries is waiting for the right moment to endorse Crockett. He did that with New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdai, whose written endorsement squeaked through just one day before voting began in the state.
Whether the obvious omission was strategic or a reflection of uncertainty around whether Crockett can win in the highly-redlined state of Texas, Jeffries’ response went over like a lead balloon for many Instagram users.
One commenter summed up the frustration bluntly: “And the people do not endorse Jeffries. Next!”
Blackgirlsareluxury expressed annoyance, stating, “He finds a new way to piss me off daily 🙄”
Then @samthe2ndcoming offered a different perspective, writing in part, “In Texas, those endorsements are a kiss of death for Dems anyway…. Too many people HATE Democrats and will vote for a can of tuna over anyone with a D after their name.” The poster continued, “I love Jasmine, but just knowing the terrain here, her best bet is to do like Beto and make it all about retail politics and defining herself because the GOP has been relentlessly defining her in [their] eyes.”
“This,” @jwen agreed with @samthe2ndcoming. “The national Democratic party needs to stay out of this primary race. Let Texans have this conversation and choose.”
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