Loading summary
Jasmine Crockett
Lemonade.
Unknown Host
His whole POV kind of is like, you make me.
Jasmine Crockett
Exactly right.
Unknown Host
It's like, Mr. President, you have to have a Department of education. Yes, Mr. President, you have to have USAID. And he's like, you make me.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah, yeah. And my deal is, if I was. If I was sitting on. If I was sitting on the bench, I would make him. He would find out. Like, this would be the true clash of our Constitution, right? Like, this would be the clash of, like, which branch are they really co. Equal? And like, is there respect? Because if it's anybody else, if there's nobody that's above the law, then why is it that he's acting like it? And it's because you're allowing him to. If you would lock me up or anybody else up for violating court orders and doing these things, then lock him up or lock his minions. Lock whoever up who has to be locked up. And not because it's political, because that's the thing. They always try to make it seem like, well, he's the victim and it's political. No, it's not. He's a criminal and he's a thug.
Unknown Host
Americans are angry. They're screaming online in town halls and in the street. Meanwhile, Chuck Schumer makes videos about how Taco Trump needs to go harder on Iran days before we bombed it. If Taco Trump is already folding, the American public should know about it. No side deals. Yeah, you got him, Chuck. But unlike many of her colleagues, Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is meeting the moment. She is bringing maximum outrage to what the Trump administration is doing, often right to Republicans faces.
Jasmine Crockett
These are our national secrets. Looks like in the shitter to me.
Unknown Host
If you could speak directly to Elon Musk, what would you say?
Jasmine Crockett
Off. If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody's bleach blonde, bad built, butch body that would not be engaging in personalities. Correct. A what now?
Unknown Host
Moments like that have brought Congresswoman Crockett plenty of attention online, with legions of supporters yas queening her every move. So I sat down with the congresswoman to talk about why her message is resonating with so many Americans, to discuss some practical advice for protesters and to ask her about the Trump administration's legal strategy, which I call you. Make me.
Jasmine Crockett
Hurry right away. No delays are safe. Make your daddy glad you have had.
Unknown Host
I'm a dad. Dads love controlling the thermostat. It's the one thing we have control over in the household. Let's talk about the temperature of this country as we're sitting Down. This is what's going on in the country. I'm going to just give you what I'm reading on the thermostat right now. A California senator, Alex Padilla, was thrown to the ground and handcuffed after asking Kristi Noem a question at a press conference. Congresswoman Lamonica McIver was charged after trying to enter an ICE immigration detention facility. We had a military parade on the president's birthday that same day. Millions of people marched in the street for the no Kings protest. So I'm reading the thermostat, and it looks like it's piping hot in the house.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah. As Nelly would say, being from St. Louis, it's getting hot in here.
Unknown Host
Hot in here.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah. I will tell you that. And I'm sure you as well, you know this country. As a little girl, I didn't believe in limitations. Right. Like, I thought, man. Like, this is great. And there's nothing I can't do. I mean, maybe it's just how my parents raised me, and they may have just raised me to be, like, super naive. I'm not really sure. But to wake up and to be where I am and then still feel so helpless at times. I remember walking into another member's office, and one of her staffers says, did you see what happened to Alex? Now in the house, when someone says Alex, we all think aoc, because that's what we call her. We call her Alex.
Unknown Host
Oh, I didn't know that.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah, we call her Alex. So I was like, what happened to Alex? And then the staffer points to the tv, and I look at the tv, and that's where I see, like, I had no warning whatsoever. And so I see they're playing a loop of what happened to Senator Padilla. And I literally just broke down in tears and started crying because it is hard for me to imagine, you know, even just looking at Senator Padilla. This is the first Latino senator that the state of California has ever had. He is the senior senator in that state.
Unknown Host
In the video, he announces he's a senator as well. He makes it very clear who he is.
Jasmine Crockett
He identifies himself, and then there is no respect, not like a modicum of respect for him, nor his position, nor his humanity. Because, first of all, I don't think that you need to be a senator to not have ICE take you to the ground, because you had the audacity. In a democracy where we supposedly respect free speech and freedom of press, even though he wasn't press, but it was a press conference, like you would think that you wouldn't do this to anybody, let alone a senator. But it tells you how sinister this administration is. And like he said, and he said it almost through tears, imagine what they're doing to people that aren't senators. Imagine what they're doing to that dishwasher, that landscaper, that farmer.
Unknown Host
If this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine.
Jasmine Crockett
What.
Unknown Host
They'Re doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country. Look, there's a lot of anger in the air right now. And one of the things that you have done, Congresswoman, is you have been uniquely positioned to identify those moments. But one of the things I wanted to ask you is for us and for our listeners, the people that watch the show and the podcast, the what are we not angry enough about right now? What's. What are we missing? What's something that you wish we focused on?
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah, I think we're not sending enough anger to all of those that are co conspirators and accomplices of Trump. Trump couldn't do this by himself. Right. And so what's going to happen is we're going to have the midterms in a minute, and people will have excuses for voting for their representatives that literally are the ones that are taking food out of their mouths, are shutting down their farms, that are taking away their health care. I don't think that it's good enough that you just show up to a town hall. You need to vote them out. Because that's the only thing that people respect in a democracy is people rising up and using their voices at the ballot box. And so while I appreciate all of the energy on the ground, but it is time for us to organize. It is time for those Democrats to go find their Republican friends and say, listen, whichever reason made you decide you wanted to vote Republican, you can still be a Republican. But if you want to stop Donald Trump, then you have to vote the other way or just don't vote at all. Let us carry this weight. And that's in the House and the Senate right now. The anticipation is that we will continue to be in the minority in the Senate. But I think that we are living in such extraordinary times that literally people all need to say, there's no way that any of us can be accomplices. I mean, you think about the incompetence that has made us very vulnerable, whether it comes to Hexith being that secretary, whether it comes to dhs and that secretary, like, it's not just like, these people voted to put these people in. Like, your senators were the ones that said, yes, go ahead and send them confirmation hearings. Yeah, exactly. And so, like, I just think that the anger needs to be spread all around, because while Trump believes that he's a king and he's gonna violate as many laws of our land, of the Constitution, etcetera, it's still with, like, the approval of the Senate as well as House Republicans. Even when we look at something like the tariffs.
Unknown Host
Right.
Jasmine Crockett
They had a chance to rein them in, because as far as I'm concerned, they are illegal. We know that the Low Court, the trial court, determined that he did not have the authority. He keeps invoking emergency powers because he's like a madman that's sitting there and everything's an emergency. And so he's abusing his power as president. And so, like, the Senate literally, like, did not have enough votes to rein him in. So when you can't afford your food or your Christmas or what, or even to keep your small business open, just know that it wasn't Trump by himself. It's everybody else that's allowing him to do this.
Unknown Host
You know, people talk about the legal repercussions for all of this, and that's why I'm so glad, Congresswoman, you got to join us on the pod, because you are a lawyer and a member of the House Judiciary Committee. This is what the cycle of dealing with Donald J. Trump feels like for us as citizens. Trump does a bunch of crazy stuff.
Jasmine Crockett
Yes.
Unknown Host
Okay. Democrats say, hey, that's illegal.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah.
Unknown Host
The courts say, hey, that's illegal.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah.
Unknown Host
Nothing happens. And then HBO goes, hey, here's a new season of White Lotus.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, you're right. I think that is going on here. I think that this is really the. The part that Democrats are struggling with the most is that, yeah, people are like, we hate what they're doing.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Jasmine Crockett
But at the same time, do we think that you're gonna do anything if we give you, like, the keys to the palace? And. And the resounding answer is no. Right? Like, people don't believe in us. And I will say that, like, there is a little grace that I asked for to the extent that we are dealing with a challenge that we've never faced. You talk about that LSAT problem, right? Like, it really does feel like a law school problem to the extent that it's like, this would never happen, but they make you play it out, you know, on paper, and it's like, oh, crap. This is really happening. Right. And so.
Unknown Host
And you're a former public defender, so you are a bar certified attorney. Yeah, my sister's also an attorney. Is this true that it's like, does the judicial system. It's almost like a 56k modem. We're around the same age, you remember, like, that's the speed of the courts, and the chaos of Trump is like T3 fiber optic. I mean, it is the speed of light.
Jasmine Crockett
Absolutely.
Unknown Host
And so is that where the disconnect is happening?
Jasmine Crockett
Of, like, that is part of it, but also, you know how measured of a response you give. Right. Like, so there are those that are concerned about going too far. He has no concerns about going too far. But when it comes to the response. So, for instance, I would never walk into anybody's court, in any state, in any federal court, anything, and just openly be like, yeah, we gonna ignore your court order. Like, we what?
Unknown Host
The boldness.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah. I would just be like, oh, they gonna take me in. You know, like. And so, like, even when you look at the Department of Justice and his lawyers and that kind of stuff, they say the most brazen things, almost daring them. I'm like, who are these judges? Right. And so then there's this question about, like, well, who do you arrest on a contempt action? Right. And they had already kind of put it out there that, like, there was all this political warfare that was going on. Lawfare, as they call it, which is all, like, projection. It's like, no, you have a valid court order regardless as to whether or not you like it or not. You follow the order of the court, and if you don't like it, you appeal it. And ultimately, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Do you think that I like the decision that overturned Roe v. Wade? I absolutely don't. I think the Dobbs decision was absolutely wrong. But guess what? The only way that you have law and order in this country is if people will honor what happens. Because there is a fear that if you don't, you could be incarcerated. But for whatever reason, this Supreme Court gave him a level of immunity that no other president has ever even felt like they needed. And right now, he is flexing that immunity. He is testing this Supreme Court and every other court because basically they were like, yeah, go break all the laws you want to.
Unknown Host
How much power do the courts really have? Because kind of what you're talking about, the boldness.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah.
Unknown Host
His whole POV kind of is like, fuck, you make me.
Jasmine Crockett
Exactly right.
Unknown Host
It's like, Mr. President, you have to have a Department of Education, Mr. President, you have to have USAID. And he's like, fuck you.
Jasmine Crockett
Make me. Yeah, yeah. And my deal is if I was. If I was sitting on. If I was sitting on the bench, I would make them. He would find out. Like, this would be the true clash of our Constitution. Right? Like, this would be the clash of, like, which branch are they really co. Equal? And like, is there respect? Because if it's anybody else, if there's nobody that's above the law, then why is it that he's acting like it? And it's because you are allowing him to. If you would lock me up or anybody else up for violating court orders and doing these things, then lock him up or lock his minions. Lock whoever up who has to be locked up. And not because it's political. Because that's the thing. They always try to make it seem like, well, he's the victim and it's political. No, it's not. He's a criminal and he's a thug. He's somebody that has decided that he wants to say. I mean, imagine this, that we have a 34 account convicted felon who had all these other cases that were pinning against him as well as like a court or two has found him liable for fraud and all kinds of stuff. And here it is. Imagine this being the guy telling the immigrants that they are the ones that are causing the crime and wreaking the havoc.
Unknown Host
Yeah, we can't have criminals in the city.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah, yeah. And so. And they are the ones messing up. No, let me tell you who's messing up our cities and in our economy. It's him. Him and his rogue administration. We just had a hearing with the governors this past week, and I pointed out that the projections right now are that we are going to lose almost $13 billion as it relates to tourism dollars just in 2025. We know that travel from Canada is already down 40%. This guy has not been in for a total of six months. And so they're not. Not coming because of the immigrants. When you wanted to say that we had an invasion. That's not why they're not coming. They're not coming because people are literally getting like, snatched off the streets of New York when they're literally here visiting while leaving a crying child, like, in the streets. Like, it's you. You're the thug. You're the criminal that is making our country less safe, that is making our country less great to the extent that nobody wants to come see us.
C
Hey, Julia, Louis Dreyfus here. If you listen to me on my Wiser Than Me podcast. You probably already know that I'm an investor and an evangelist for the Mill food recycler. There are a lot of reasons to love mill, but for me, it's all about the impact. Keeping food out of the garbage is one of the most powerful things we can do to help the planet. Every single day we're talking banana peels, carrot tops, old takeout. When that stuff heads to the landfill, it becomes a huge driver of climate change. If you already compost, great. But of course, there's the smell, the flies, the running to the curb every day with a little leaking compost bag made of cornstarch. That's where mill comes in. It makes keeping food out of the trash as easy as dropping it in. It can handle nearly anything from a turkey carcass to like 20 avocado pits. It works automatically while you sleep. You can keep filling it for weeks and it never ever smells. Mill makes dry, nutrient rich grounds that you can use in your garden and add to your compost, feed to your chickens. Or mill can get them back to a small farm for you, but you kind of have to live with mill to really get it. And that's why they offer a risk free trial. Go to mill.comweiser for an exclusive offer.
Unknown Host
Will there ever be a presidential perp walk? I saw the New York Times cover 34 felony counts. I saw, I saw the mug shot. He started selling T shirts off the mug shot like it was a supreme T shirt. Will there ever be a presidential perp walk? And by all means you can tell me that I'm young and naive and it's not going to happen.
Jasmine Crockett
I don't think it's going to happen.
Unknown Host
Please. Yeah, please tell me.
Jasmine Crockett
I don't think it's going to happen. I mean, you know, the fact that he evaded any semblance of the justice system, told you that he was flying above, that he enjoyed a level of privilege that no one else has ever enjoyed. The fact that he got any convictions, the fact that he actually got to trial on any case was actually pretty astounding to me. And the crazy part is the cases that were moving, the prosecutors were black. Those were the cases that were moving. It was Alvin Bragg. I mean, it was. And even when we look at the civil side, it was Tish James or when we look down in Georgia, it was Fani Willis. Right. Like those are the cases that were moving. And I think that it does take a different tenure when you are black in America. And regardless of your station in life. Because obviously I'm talking about elected officials. You are not immune to having someone in your family having touched the criminal injustice system at some point. And so if anybody is not gonna give a pass, it's probably gonna be a black elected prosecutor of some sort that's gonna be like, bro, like, we not finna play with you. Ain't nobody tried to play with us. Ain't nobody tried to have, like, kid gloves with us. Like, no. And they were following the evidence. Right. Like, people tried to pretend like it was political. No. You do understand that it was a grand jury that is made up of regular citizens that indicted him.
Unknown Host
Yeah, that's a key detail.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah. Like.
Unknown Host
Like it's people that you, you take on the MTA North. Like people that you take the subway with.
Jasmine Crockett
Correct. People from five boroughs of your peers. Yes, correct. Same thing with the conviction, at least you were given your due process. Something that you're like, oh, I don't know, gotta talk to my lawyers. What you mean you don't know? You swore an oath to the Constitution and this isn't your first time as the president. Like, if you don't know, frankly, you are not qualified to be the president. Because if you look at people that have to take their citizenship tests, they gotta know more about the Constitution than the daggone president.
Unknown Host
There has been this demand, and I'm sure you've seen this online, you've seen this in the newspaper, you've seen this in editorials. When will the Republican Party stand up to Donald Trump? That clearly didn't happen during the first term and it's clearly not happening during the second term. Is that just an insane thing to ask and is it even possible?
Jasmine Crockett
I don't think it's insane to ask. I think it's sad that you have.
Unknown Host
To ask, but does everybody have that Mitt Romney money? You know, he's got a ketchup empire. He can go live on.
Jasmine Crockett
A private islander like you just. I mean, at some point in time you have to say, is it worth it? Because these people are selling their souls and they're selling the very people that they claim to represent down the river. Is it worth it that literally there are people that are going to die because they have no way of surviving without this health care? Is it worth it to know that, like, you suppose you, you, you know, put yourself out there and you say that you are this amazing Christian, but knowing that USAID was cut off and knowing that people literally have died, like, this is not theoretical, right? This is actual. And, and we take trips like members don't talk about this. So you end up with people that are completely ignorant about the things that we do. But we are international diplomatic figures as members of Congress and we traveled the world and USAID was one of the most powerful tools that we had as it relates to soft power in making sure that people didn't look at the United States and hate us. And next thing you know, start little terrorist organizations. The next thing you know, may want to come over here and hurt us. Right. Like this was about like literally doing goodwill all around the world.
Unknown Host
Diplomacy.
Jasmine Crockett
Correct. And we're talking about for like through pennies.
Unknown Host
Yeah, yeah.
Jasmine Crockett
Pennies on the dollar. Right. Like the, the, the length that our dollar could go in some of these third world countries. Insanely far Right. Like the medications cost them pennies to save people lives. And then they can look and say the Americans are good people. And when they started to talk about USAID and all this kind of stuff we're talking about, I think it was less than half a percentage of our. I mean the. It was so minus.
Unknown Host
It was a nominal amount.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah. And it's like, I get it when people hear the number because it's more than the average person has in their bank account. But if you allow them to distract you and make you think that this is where we need to argue, they're distracting you from all of this other money, the money that's going into Elon's pockets. Right. Like the money that he gets from defense contracts. That's what they're distracting you from.
Unknown Host
You know, you have been able to articulate the anger that people feel in the streets. I think you've done that quite brilliantly. There is this desire for Democrats to meet the moment and meet their constituents where they are. This is what the people are feeling.
Jasmine Crockett
I'm gonna keep posting about this all day because this is bullshit. I went and logged into my federal loan account and this is what I found. I graduated in 2011 with $46,000 in student loan debt. My loan debt is now almost 90,000 fucking dollars in that time. I've been a social worker that has made income based repayments on my loan for years. For years. And that shit has almost doubled. You want to know why people are pissed off about their student loans? It's not because we can't get anyone else to pay them for us. It is because you have set it up where we can never pay them off ourselves. And then you sit here and tell us into our faces that we are Lazy. This is somehow our fault. While cheering on banks and auto industries and Elon fucking Musk getting subsidies of millions of dollars in the day. Anyone who still doesn't see that this is ranked against us can get.
Unknown Host
God damn. That video has over 2 million views on Twitter. And you retweeted that video. This is what people are feeling.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah, it breaks my heart. I mean, the. The days that I wake up and I get in my feelings about how I could go and live a simpler life, and I want to quit. I think about, who's going to give a damn, who's going to fight? Like, who is going to be willing to put themselves out on the front lines for somebody like that? Like, it doesn't make sense. Like, there is no. And again, to me, this isn't partisanship. Like, I mean, it's funny because, you know, MAGA will say I'm this extreme leftist for thinking that this is bullshit. Right? But it's not. This is just wrong. And. And I mean, it's anti American. Right? Like, this is supposed to be a land of opportunity, right? That's not what opportunity feels like. That feels like weight. That feels like a system that is rigged against you. Right? And so, like, we are the system. And so the thing is, it's like, how do you plant yourself in this and try to fix it?
Unknown Host
Now, this is what your colleague Chuck Schumer is doing with that anger.
Jasmine Crockett
We will win. We will win. We will win. We will win.
Unknown Host
We.
Jasmine Crockett
We won't rest. We won't rest. We won't rest. We won't rest.
Unknown Host
Thank you, everybody. Okay, you know exactly what I'm gonna say.
Jasmine Crockett
You're trying to get me in trouble.
Unknown Host
That was so depressing. Look, I watched this, and I feel bad for Maxine Waters. Chuck Schumer and Maxine Waters, they said, we will fight four times. Are the Democrats beating the moment is what I'm trying to say?
Jasmine Crockett
No, I just have to be honest. And here's the deal. I don't think that you'd ever get a Democratic Party that would be full of, like, nothing but Jasmine Crockets. Like, that's just not gonna happen. But I do think that there is value in having leadership that understands who the players are on your team and making sure that they're playing their best positions. Right?
Unknown Host
Right.
Jasmine Crockett
So, like, I think, like, for instance, with this, the answer was, we all need to be with people. And I was there earlier. I left before Chuck got up. I had to go somewhere. But. But nevertheless, like, the show went long. It did. It Did. But also, like, is this really Chuck's space? Not necessarily. This isn't necessarily his space, but I think that he could have been very effective to be like, yo. Like, for instance, they did have some senators that are a little more vibrant.
Unknown Host
Gotcha.
Jasmine Crockett
Is how I'll say it. That were there spicier with their sriracha. Correct. And so literally, it could have been him doing a press conference where he looks natural. Right. Like in the Senate and basically saying, I thought that it made sense to send Senator Chris Murphy to send Senator Cory Booker out so that they could go and represent for us. And then I think that you look more cohesive, you look more normal. Right. Because he's in his natural habitat. And he's basically saying, they're a part of my team and I appreciate what they're doing, and this is what they're doing for us. And taking that, I think we need more of that. What we tend to see is we've got a lot of people that are getting into very unnatural situations. Right. Like right now, we're all, like, doing podcasts. And I'm like, is everyone in their.
Unknown Host
Pocket on the podcast?
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah, exactly. That's the thing. And I'm like, I get that you're like, okay, we're probably in about the 1970s when it comes to where we are on comms, and the Republicans are like, 20, 30, so we trying to catch up. Right. But I'm like, not everybody goes on the podcast. And it's not even being, like, shady. It's just being honest about the type of communication. You don't go on a podcast and then sound like you're on CNN or msnbc. Like, it's completely different. And even some members, like, going on CNN or msnbc, they also aren't necessarily so. Like, I think it's about people.
Unknown Host
The game changed. The game has changed. And you're like. And you're like, put players in position that will succeed in that respective position.
Jasmine Crockett
Correct.
Unknown Host
Because I'll tell you this, the fight and the style of. Let's call it the political arena has changed.
Jasmine Crockett
Yes.
Unknown Host
You have been able to shine in a very unique way because you get in there and dare I say tussle, or people ask you to tussle. Let's take a look.
Jasmine Crockett
She gonna keep saying trans, trans, trans. So that people will feel threatened. And child, listen, I. I want y'. All, do not call me a child. I am no child. I am a grown. Which of those emails.
C
You will not do that.
Jasmine Crockett
I am reclaiming my time. If you want to take it outside, Mr. Chairman.
Unknown Host
So Nancy Mace told you, let's take this outside. What happened here?
Jasmine Crockett
Well, she didn't want to go outside, but, you know, at that point in time, we were trying to get some sort of order restored. Right. And so that's.
Unknown Host
And by the way, Congresswoman, I'm not trying to sound like a yard duty. I literally said what happened here, but I literally feel like I'm a yard duty.
Jasmine Crockett
No, no. Seriously? Yeah. So how'd we get here? So we basically were like, yo, you can't just openly threaten a sitting member of Congress. Especially think about the context of where we are right now. Right? So you have members that have that type of behavior that threatened to cause physical harm to another member. And then the next thing you know, people that may not necessarily be mentally all the way there do things like feel emboldened to go out and do what we just saw happen in Minnesota. It is an assassination that we begin with tonight. It happened in Minnesota. The murder of a state representative and her husband in what's being called a politically motivated attack. So for me, it does start at the top, because there is a level of acceptance or excuse that they give. And so ultimately, they did not kick her out. She was like. They were like, well, she could have meant go outside to have tea. It didn't necessarily. I was like that. Not. That's what they said. These were. These. I will see you outside. Chamomile or. Right, exactly. As you're all, like, turned up. Right. Like, that's what it means. But, like, Nancy Mace is a performance artist that is searching for attention. She does all kinds of things to get attention. And, you know, I said that her campaign coffers were probably a little dry. I did look. And her campaign coffers did not look like mine. They were quite dry. So. But the idea of, like, the only way that I can be successful in politics is if I then, you know, beat up on anybody. Right? Like, because she had also done this big trans thing for, like, weeks or whatever. And I was like, clearly, you're not making any money. And then she decides to go after trans people again in committee. And that's not what we were even there for. I mean, I was just like, what are we doing?
Unknown Host
Right?
Jasmine Crockett
And it's. It's unsuccessful, but I think she's just happy that she gets, like, a headline. And so that makes her happy. It's like, I'm in the news, right? But instead of, like, being in the news for something of, you know, congresswoman.
Unknown Host
What'S Kind of scary here, though, is that we talk about the fight. The fight must continue. But we don't want the fight to turn into a fight.
Jasmine Crockett
No, we don't.
Unknown Host
So where do we go from here?
Jasmine Crockett
We don't.
Unknown Host
Here's a little piece of history and I'd love for you to take a look at this. You know, Charles Sumner was literally caned on the senate floor in 1856. Now, Charles Sumner vehemently was against slavery, so he wanted to abolish slavery. And things got heated. But these are the Senate chambers that you were inside of. This is your place of work.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah. Is. It's quite ghetto.
Unknown Host
Yeah. How do we fight without it turning into a fight?
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah. You know, I think I will tell you that there was a conversation that some members had talked about that I was not a part of, where there were some members that literally were concerned about if they speak up, that it will turn into some of the violence kind of coming towards them.
Unknown Host
And that was one of the things I wanted to mention. Maybe I've heard this from your Republican colleagues, which was some of them were too afraid to impeach Donald Trump because there might have been violence. And as. As we're having this conversation.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah. And the violence doesn't come from Democrats, just to be clear. I mean, obviously anyone can be a criminal, but it is. MAGA is specifically MAGA faction. Like, I don't think traditional Republicans are getting engaged in all of this. But like, even when we look at. And they don't talk about the assassination attempts anymore that took place with Donald Trump. But these, these were Trump supporters. Right. As well as this most recent situation, they tried to flip it and say, oh, the leftists. Or I'm like, this doesn't even make sense. Right. But it's only like MAGA that does this. Or when we went through our speaker election and people were upset about different members not voting for Jim Jordan, who's maga. Then next thing you know, like MAGA was then sending threats to their wives and things like that. We had a member who was kicked out of his lease in his district because he failed to do it. Like, they get so, like, viscerally like enraged and they, they go after anybody that is against Trump, whether they are technically on the same political side or not. And I don't know, you know, in my mind we would get around some of this when he was out of office and it seemed like we still had, it was still simmering. We still had our fair share of issues. But we know that the numbers have been Clear that hate in general is always peaking when he is in power, whether it's anti Semitism, whether it's xenophobia, whether it's just racism as a whole, like, it peaks, as well as the political violence. The fact that I have to have calls about trying to figure out the best ways to keep me safe. The fact that, I mean, I even had some Republicans recently try to make a big deal about me being escorted in Atlanta airport. And it's like, I have to have escorts constantly, especially when I'm in the Deep south, because we don't know when people walk up on me if they are happy to see me or not. So happy to see me. Right. And it's sad. And, like, we have to move me as quickly as possible out of, like, the public eye. I mean, it's a. It's a hard way to live. I mean, it's not normal. But then I think about the videos of the young lady that you played, and I say, you know, heavy is the head that wears the crown, right? And I just say, okay, this is what I gotta do.
Unknown Host
You have to sometimes work with your Republican colleagues to gsd, get shit done. Do you actually. I'm just kind of. There's a little bit of, like, tea here. Do you actually have genuine moments with your colleagues?
Jasmine Crockett
Yes.
Unknown Host
That you may not agree with politically?
Jasmine Crockett
Yes.
Unknown Host
Okay.
Jasmine Crockett
I really do. There is one that I would like to talk about, but do you want to use. It would probably hurt that person's election. So.
Unknown Host
It's Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah. No, I would absolutely.
Unknown Host
But Congresswoman. But this is what. I mean, you guys work in the same place.
Jasmine Crockett
Like, we do. So for people who. She doesn't do any work.
Unknown Host
Okay.
Jasmine Crockett
She's. She's not.
Unknown Host
Wait, work ethics is low or what do you.
Jasmine Crockett
What do you. She doesn't do any work. She doesn't do bills of. So she doesn't do anything. No, not her. I mean, it takes, like, a real politician. It takes, like, a real, like. So for sure. As someone who came out of the criminal space and believes in, like, criminal justice reform, that is smart. A lot of my bills around fentanyl. I've done that with a number of, you know, Republicans that have been like, oh, no, like, the border crisis. It's all the fentanyl. And I'm like, okay, whatever. But, like, let me work on some legislation. Legislation that I actually started working on in the state house. Really good legislation that would save lives. So some mitigation stuff like, just to make it.
Unknown Host
So how do you do this? Nerd stuff. Outside of the cell phone theatrics. Cause you pull up anywhere, you're at a Cinnabon in the Atlanta airport, cell phones are out, and you gotta put your performance on. But this kind of nerdy. All right, let's get into the law review. Let's get into the fine details. This requires you to maybe slide in the DMs of a Republican colleague. Yeah, no, I mean, we work on this together.
Jasmine Crockett
Do you have any anecdotes?
Unknown Host
Cause you guys use the same bathrooms. You're using the same dining commons.
Jasmine Crockett
No, we. Not really.
Unknown Host
Really?
Jasmine Crockett
No. Cause so you just eat and sit. We all have our own offices that have restrooms, so you don't have to use them.
Unknown Host
Okay.
Jasmine Crockett
Whatsoever. And then, yes, like, off the floor, we have restrooms. We have a woman's restroom on one side and a men's. So you may go in there, like, really quickly off the floor. But for the most part, you don't really. I mean, everything is divided.
Unknown Host
Oh, so you don't.
Jasmine Crockett
Left and right. You don't. No. So, like, when we're in the House chamber, Dems sit on the left, Republicans sit on the right, and that aisle that goes down the middle. That's what it means to cross the aisle.
Unknown Host
Yeah.
Jasmine Crockett
When we're in committee, was it the exact same way? Now, when I was in the State House, we didn't sit that way. We weren't split up. Like, you could have a desk mate that was a Republican and, like, you were mixed in. In fact, the way that we sat in committee, it was every other. It was opposite.
Unknown Host
But this is. This is like an 8th grade dance, but with more. Hatred. Intention.
Jasmine Crockett
Yes, yes. So we have. So everything separate.
Unknown Host
Yeah. So how.
Jasmine Crockett
Our cloakrooms. Everything separate.
Unknown Host
How do people reach across?
Jasmine Crockett
So usually you either have to make the effort. Like, you do research on, like, maybe members that have dealt with certain issues in the past, and you're like, oh, this person may be more inclined. Sometimes it's lobbyists. Sometimes lobbyists are like, hey, we know you're working on such and such. We think a good partner for this would be such and such, because they're really passionate about this, too. So the lobby plays a big part in some of that. And then we go on our congressional delegation trips. So as I was saying earlier, we travel internationally, and usually we would travel and check out on, like, our USAID dollars. We would see them in action. We would, like, check up to see how things are going. So when you take a lot of those congressional delegation trips, that's when you, like, end up interacting more. But we don't really interact like that. It is. It is kind of built in a very inefficient way. Yeah.
Unknown Host
That sucks that you got to do, like, a school trip abroad to finally.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah. And Republicans are so many. There's so much better out of the country, like, everywhere we go.
Unknown Host
Oh, they're better at reaching out to you guys.
Jasmine Crockett
Well, they're better when we're out of the country.
Unknown Host
Got it.
Jasmine Crockett
So, like, in the country, they never know when cameras are rolling. But, like, when we leave the country, none of them deny climate change because we consistently have conversations about all the way.
Unknown Host
So you're in Portugal and they're like, sea levels are rising.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah, well, you. We. I haven't done that one yet, but I was supposed to do Portugal. But yes, they literally. I mean, we've been especially. We do a lot of trips to Asia for a lot of different reasons. But literally, they'll talk about the way you looked.
Unknown Host
What did that mean? A lot of different reasons.
Jasmine Crockett
Well, because it is. It's the complications of China. It's the complications of trying to diversify our supply chains. And now I don't think we're going to diversify anything because of the tariffs. But, like, you are. I mean, these are things that we do. These are things, like, I never post. I don't think I've ever posted on about any one of my international trips because I don't think that the American people really like the idea of us leaving the country and they feel away, but it's what we do. Like, I've sat down with Amirs and prime ministers and presidents of other countries. Like, we are diplomats. And so.
Unknown Host
So that's just in your photo library. Never going to make the.
Jasmine Crockett
We don't. Yeah, I don't. I don't post them. I don't post them at all because I think it is a disconnect. And I think people think, oh, my gosh, they left the country and they did, you know, whatever.
Unknown Host
Are you working for another country? The American people want.
Jasmine Crockett
Exactly. It's just. It's not even worth the headache. Right. But it's like, this is part of the job to make sure that we're keeping. Keeping everyone safe. And we really were working in a very bipartisan way to really figure out some smarter supply chains that also would reduce the need of people needing to migrate to, like, the United States, because we would be helping as it relates to their economy and hopefully helping to create their own middle classes other places.
Unknown Host
Sure.
Jasmine Crockett
So, like, Very well informed. Like, we have done lots of trips, or I've done lots of trips, but it's usually over there. And we come together on these things. Like, they don't. They literally do not. I was shocked. Like, I was waiting a couple of times. I'm like, so you're not gonna deny that? Oh, because you denied all day long at home. They. They don't. They become, like, normal Ish. When we leave the country, but when they're here. No. Yeah. It's crazy. I'm the same everywhere I go. Okay.
Unknown Host
No, I believe it. I've. I have watched a consistency in your many performances from late night podcast.
Jasmine Crockett
I am. I am the same.
Unknown Host
We are talking days after the no Kings protest.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah.
Unknown Host
There were millions of people on the streets. Do protesters and protests help you do your job better? Is it an articulation of the wants of the American people that you can then levy into change?
Jasmine Crockett
No.
Unknown Host
Okay.
Jasmine Crockett
I don't think so. I think what they do, though, is they allow people to be reassured that they're not alone. Because right now, especially if you get on certain social media platforms and you see all the craziness that's posted, you're like, am I by myself and thinking that everything's falling apart? Right. And so I think that it builds community. And my hope as it relates to the protest is that it's not a moment, but it turns into a movement. A movement that can carry us through local elections. A movement that can carry us through the midterms as well as through the next presidential. So that's what it does for me, is it makes me know that people are actually listening and paying attention and that they are motivated. And it's my only hope that the organizers hold on to this energy and get it translated so that we can make real change. Because the change comes when we change the lawmakers, not by trying to actually convince them of something they don't want to be convinced of.
Unknown Host
Because I'm part of a group thread called Da Boys. It's just me and my homies that I grew up with. And one of Du Bois, his name's Hamza, he's on the group thread. And he started making fun of everybody that was at the no Kings protest. He's like, oh, you stupid. You guys went to Staples and got your little sign and you said, no orange king for me. And you waved it. Then you walked your butt back to the parking garage and you drove home and then you watched the NBA finals. It didn't do shit.
Jasmine Crockett
Yeah.
Unknown Host
Now, Congresswoman Crockett what I'd like you to do is address Hamza at this.
Jasmine Crockett
Camera and tell us. Hamza, you're wrong. You're wrong.
Unknown Host
I need a little bit more. I need some more spice on that. Tell us why Hamza's fucking stupid.
Jasmine Crockett
No. Okay, I'm not gonna do that. Cause I don't know you. Okay, but this is for Hamza, because.
Unknown Host
I'm dropping this into the group chat.
Jasmine Crockett
But I legitimate know that there are so many people that feel so isolated and having that sense of community and starting to figure out, oh, these are my neighbors that aren't crazy. That's where we are going to get the real change. But I understand where you were going with it. I get it.
Unknown Host
Okay? Now, Humza's technically from Plano. Now you represent Texas 30th congressional district. And I looked this up and Plano's outside. Yeah, that's right. Did you hear that, Hamza?
Jasmine Crockett
He doesn't have a good ribbon.
Unknown Host
You don't got a good rep?
Jasmine Crockett
No. You should have been marching, honey, to figure out who and Plano could come together so y' all could get some real representation.
Unknown Host
So what she's basically saying is, you're the fucking loser. You didn't go to the protests and you're at home playing Call of Duty. Back to you, Congresswoman Crockett. You are someone who literally, in your legal background, you defended Black Lives Matter protesters. So for the people that are attending protests and future protests, do you have legal counsel for them? What should they know if someone's a first time protester?
Jasmine Crockett
I am not allowed to give out legal advice. So I will give you friendly advice, not legal advice. I will say, number one, I think that everyone should have the telephone number of someone that's important actually written on their arms. Because you never know what's going to happen. You don't know if your phone is going to die. And most of us don't remember telephone numbers. You don't know if you're going to be injured. And so absolutely have at least one, if not two, important telephone numbers written on your arm. I'd say always consult with a lawyer before you actually go to the protest so that you can understand the parameters of what the law is in whatever municipality you're in. Also make sure you've got a lawyer on call. So one of those phone numbers would probably be the lawyer's number just in case you're arrested or anything like that. So that as quickly as possible, whoever is going to help you can be notified and hopefully keep you from going to jail. But if they're taking you to jail, get you out of jail as quickly as possible.
Unknown Host
I'm so sorry, by the way, for asking you to give legal advice. Here is some legal advice by the National Lawyers Guild. Let's take a look together.
Jasmine Crockett
We've been fighting fascism for over 50 years.
Unknown Host
And so much has changed over those 50 years, such as the ingredients to.
Jasmine Crockett
A successful firebomb and the glass the bank windows are made of.
Unknown Host
But there's one thing that hasn't changed over 50 years. Something that is so important to tell you kids who are new to this movement.
Jasmine Crockett
Shut the fuck up. You're sitting in the police transport van after a protest.
Unknown Host
Shut the fuck up. In a holding cell with your comrades.
Jasmine Crockett
Shut the fuck up. Cop knocks on your door.
Unknown Host
Shut the fuck up.
Jasmine Crockett
Texting on an unsecured device. Shut the fuck up.
Unknown Host
Pulled over by the cops after a protest.
Jasmine Crockett
Shut the fuck up. Cop. Just asking about your day. Shut the fuck up. Feds. Call your mom. Tell your mother to shut the fuck up. I love it.
Unknown Host
Should I tell my mother to shut the fuck up?
Jasmine Crockett
Under these circumstances, for sure I'm going to tell you. Like, real talk, especially black mamas were some of my worst, like, enemies, ultimately. How so? When I would have so many clients, the first thing that a black mama does, you call your mama from the jail and you say, momma, I need you to come get me out of jail. What's the first thing she gonna say?
Unknown Host
Well, what happened?
Jasmine Crockett
What you do? And then you start having to explain to your mama on this recorded line, no, no, no, no, no. And I have no protections whatsoever when it's your mama doing the interrogation. So. No, no, no, no. I love the video. It is true the best right that you have is the right to remain silent. But that actually goes for, like, your mama. Mamas are the worst. Like, the best person law enforcement can have especially is a black mama. Because they gonna always ask because they may leave you there. They may. If they feel like you did whatever, they may leave you there. So people are trying to explain and I'm like, not good. Not good. I've had so many of those tapes come back to bite me in the butt.
Unknown Host
I want to ask you a question that's very similar to your 30 year mortgage.
Jasmine Crockett
Okay.
Unknown Host
What's your 30 year plan?
Jasmine Crockett
Oh, 30 year. Well, all I can tell you is that I will not be in politics 30 years from now. That's. That is the only assurance.
Unknown Host
This is rare.
Jasmine Crockett
That this is rare. I know.
Unknown Host
You know, your colleagues are Damn near geriatrics.
Jasmine Crockett
I.
Unknown Host
You got a group of coffin Dodgers.
Jasmine Crockett
That you work with? I'm not even going to comment. We've lost three members in the House this year. Three have died in Congress. So yes, I am, but my, my mom, I mean, my predecessor, she served for 30 years. So, so many people served for 30 years in the U.S. house. She did 50 years of service total between the Texas House, Texas Senate and U.S. house. And so, so many people in my constituency are like, oh, you can do 30 years, like Eddie Bernice. And I'm like, no, I can't. No, I can't. So the only thing that I can tell you for sure is that 30 years from now, I, I hope to be donating to young, amazing talent that is, you know, hopefully running a world that is a lot more clear eyed and real than what we are living through right now. I will tell you that I. I actually have my expiration date in my mind for the House.
Unknown Host
Oh, wow, you got the exit strategy already there.
Jasmine Crockett
I do, I do. And I've already been eyeing people to replacement me.
Unknown Host
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, thank you so much for sitting down with us. This is a lovely conversation.
Jasmine Crockett
Good to see you.
Unknown Host
Good to see you.
Jasmine Crockett
Yay.
Unknown Host
If you haven't subscribed to Lemonada Premium yet, now's the perfect time. Because guess what? You can listen completely ad free. Plus you'll unlock exclusive bonus content like Halle Berry on how to be a good partner during menopause or Mehdi Hassan on the dumbing down of media clips you won't hear anywhere else. Just tap that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts or head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe on any other app. That's lemonadapremium.com. don't miss out.
Detailed Summary of "When Will Democrats Get Mad? - with Rep. Jasmine Crockett"
Podcast Information:
The episode features a candid discussion between Hasan Minhaj and Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. From the outset, the conversation delves into the contentious political climate surrounding the Trump administration and the broader implications for Democratic strategies and public sentiment.
Rep. Crockett passionately addresses the legal confrontations between the Trump administration and the judicial system. She critiques Trump's dismissive attitude towards established governmental departments and constitutional norms.
Jasmine Crockett [00:08]: "Exactly right."
Crockett [00:18]: "He would find out. Like, this would be the true clash of our Constitution... is there respect? Because if there's nobody that's above the law, then why is it that he's acting like it?"
She emphasizes the necessity of holding Trump accountable for violating court orders, advocating for equal enforcement regardless of political standing.
Crockett [01:04]: "No, it's not. He's a criminal and he's a thug."
The conversation shifts to the perceived failures within Congress, particularly among Senate Republicans, to effectively counteract Trump's actions. Crockett criticizes figures like Chuck Schumer for their handling of the situation.
Host [01:04]: "Americans are angry... unlike many of her colleagues, Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is meeting the moment."
Crockett underscores the importance of voting out representatives who support detrimental policies, stressing that accountability must extend beyond the executive branch.
Crockett [06:10]: "You need to vote them out. Because that's the only thing that people respect in a democracy is people rising up and using their voices at the ballot box."
Rep. Crockett discusses the judiciary's role in checking executive power, highlighting the complexities and delays inherent in the legal system.
Crockett [09:14]: "I think that is going on here. I think that this is really the part that Democrats are struggling with the most..."
She expresses frustration over the slow pace of the courts in addressing Trump's legal issues, contrasting it with the administration's rapid abuses of power.
Crockett [12:34]: "In a democracy where we supposedly respect free speech and freedom of press... it tells you how sinister this administration is."
The discussion addresses the rise in political violence and the personal safety concerns faced by public officials like Crockett.
Crockett [30:40]: "MAGA is specifically MAGA faction... Hate in general is always peaking when he is in power."
She shares personal experiences, including the constant need for security and the emotional toll of confronting threats.
Crockett [32:04]: "I have to have escorts constantly... it's not normal."
Despite the polarized environment, Rep. Crockett highlights instances of bipartisan collaboration on critical issues such as criminal justice reform and fentanyl legislation.
Crockett [34:15]: "I've done that with a number of, you know, Republicans... Legislation that I actually started working on in the state house. Really good legislation that would save lives."
She contrasts this productive collaboration with the unproductive antics of certain GOP members, emphasizing the importance of substantive legislative efforts over performative actions.
The conversation explores the effectiveness of protests in driving political change. While acknowledging their role in building community and expressing collective frustration, Crockett remains skeptical about their direct impact on legislative processes.
Crockett [40:02]: "I think what they do, though, is they allow people to be reassured that they're not alone."
She hopes that protests will evolve into sustained movements that influence elections and policy changes.
Crockett [40:01]: "It's my hope that the organizers hold on to this energy and get it translated so that we can make real change."
Rep. Crockett discusses the challenges and necessities of cross-party communication within Congress. She acknowledges the structural inefficiencies that hinder effective bipartisan collaborations.
Crockett [35:06]: "We have to make the effort... sometimes it's lobbyists that help bridge the gap."
She advocates for strategic partnerships and leveraging congressional trips to facilitate meaningful dialogue and cooperation.
The episode concludes with reflections on the future of the Democratic Party and Rep. Crockett's personal commitments. She expresses a desire to mentor future leaders and emphasizes the importance of strategic leadership within the party.
Crockett [46:05]: "I will not be in politics 30 years from now. That's the only assurance."
She underscores the urgency of addressing systemic issues and fostering new talent to navigate the evolving political landscape.
Notable Quotes with Timestamps:
Crockett [06:10]: "You need to vote them out. Because that's the only thing that people respect in a democracy is people rising up and using their voices at the ballot box."
Crockett [30:40]: "MAGA is specifically MAGA faction... Hate in general is always peaking when he is in power."
Crockett [40:02]: "I think what they do, though, is they allow people to be reassured that they're not alone."
Crockett [46:05]: "I will not be in politics 30 years from now. That's the only assurance."
Rep. Jasmine Crockett provides a fervent analysis of the current political turmoil, attributing systemic failures to both executive overreach and legislative inaction. She emphasizes the necessity of judicial accountability, robust democratic participation, and effective bipartisan collaboration to restore political integrity and public trust.
Crockett also highlights the personal costs of political engagement in a volatile environment, advocating for heightened security measures and community solidarity. Her vision for the Democratic Party involves nurturing new leadership and transforming transient protest movements into lasting political change.
The conversation encapsulates the frustrations and hopes of many Democrats, positioning Crockett as a vocal advocate for accountability, legal integrity, and proactive legislative action in the face of unprecedented political challenges.