Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett appears to be auditioning for a national outrage tour instead of running the Senate race she keeps telling people she wants. Over the weekend, Crockett found herself furious at Vice President JD Vance after a pointed jab he delivered at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest. Rather than brushing it off or refocusing on Texas voters, Crockett did what she does best, turned the whole thing into a racial grievance.
Speaking to a packed crowd, Vance referenced Crockett’s Senate ambitions and mocked what he called her “street-girl persona,” adding that it was “about as real as her nails.” It was a political insult, sharp but hardly unusual in modern politics. Vance was not talking about race, policy, or identity politics. He was questioning authenticity, something voters do every election cycle.
Vance: And Jasmine crocket. Oh, Jasmine Crockett! The record speaks for itself. She wants to be a senator. Though her street girl persona is about as real as her nails. pic.twitter.com/Y16fWVJID1
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 21, 2025
Crockett’s response came swiftly on MSNBC, where she appeared on “Weekend Primetime” looking visibly irritated. “I have been a black woman my entire life,” she declared, accusing Vance of using racist tropes and suggesting she had overcome people like him to “ascend” to Congress. That word choice alone says a lot. She did not explain how the comment affected Texas voters or why it mattered to her campaign. She framed it entirely as a personal slight tied to race.
Here is the problem for Crockett. She was elected from a deep blue district anchored in Dallas. That is not Texas. That is one city with one political worldview. Running statewide is a completely different animal. Texas is a solidly Republican state, and winning there requires more than viral MSNBC clips and X posts about imagined slights.
So far, Crockett’s Senate campaign has offered almost nothing of substance. Her kickoff video was not about border security, energy, inflation, or crime. It was a montage of criticisms from President Trump, as if running against him in a state he carried comfortably is a winning strategy. Even veteran Democrat strategist James Carville has openly questioned whether Crockett is too self-centered to run a serious statewide campaign in Texas.
What makes this episode even stranger is that Vance is not running against her. He is not on the Texas ballot. He has no role in her Senate race whatsoever. Yet Crockett seems far more interested in shadowboxing national Republicans than talking to Texans about Texas issues.
Border security alone should dominate any Texas Senate campaign. Energy production should be front and center. Instead, Crockett is replaying the same tired Democratic playbook, label criticism as racism, run to friendly media, and hope outrage substitutes for policy.
That strategy might work on cable news panels. It will not work in the Lone Star State. If Crockett truly wants to be a senator, she may want to spend less time reacting to jokes at conservative conferences and more time explaining why Texans should vote for her. Right now, she looks more focused on being offended than being elected.