WASHINGTON 鈥� U.S. Rep. , D-Dallas, disparagingly called Gov. 鈥淗ot Wheels鈥� to mock his use of a wheelchair Saturday, prompting fierce backlash from Republicans.
鈥淛asmine Crockett is despicable,鈥� Attorney General said on social media.
鈥淪hameful,鈥� U.S. Sen. posted.
鈥淛asmine Crockett is the perfect spokesperson for today鈥檚 Democrats 鈥� out of touch and completely unhinged,鈥� said Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. 鈥淲hen you鈥檝e got no message and no agenda, all that鈥檚 left is hate."
U.S. Rep. , R-Friendswood, plans to file a motion to censure Crockett on Wednesday, according to a draft of the motion obtained by the Tribune.
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: 鈥淵鈥檃ll 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.鈥�
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鈥檚 disability. Then-Travis County Judge in 2019 after she said Abbott 鈥渉ates trees because one fell on him.鈥� 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 his disability.
Addressing the comments, Abbott said on Tuesday night that Democrats 鈥渉ave no vision, no policy. They have nothing to sell but hate.鈥�
鈥淭he bottom line is that Republican states like Texas are leading the way, and with comments like this by Democrats, we will just leave them in the dust in future elections,鈥� Abbott said to Fox News' Sean Hannity.
In a social media post, Crockett asserted she was mocking Abbott鈥檚 policies, not disability.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 thinking about the governor鈥檚 condition鈥擨 was thinking about the planes, trains, and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by Black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable,鈥� Crockett wrote. 鈥淟iterally, the next line I said was that he was a 鈥淗ot A** Mess,鈥� referencing his terrible policies. At no point did I mention or allude to his condition. So, I鈥檓 even more appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump鈥攁 man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities鈥攁re now outraged.鈥�
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鈥檚 鈥渇ake eyelashes are messing up what you鈥檙e reading.鈥�
Crockett shot back in a now viral moment where she asked about the propriety of using the phrase a 鈥渂leach blonde bad built butch body,鈥� a remark aimed at Greene. The line has since appeared on merchandise, and Crockett鈥檚 campaign 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 .
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