Jasmine Crockett accused of 'abusing her power' at airport boarding gate
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, was slammed on social media after House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain shared a photo of her apparently skipping ahead of two passengers in wheelchairs while boarding a flight at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday.
"SPOTTED: Jasmine Crockett with a taxpayer-funded police escort, cutting everyone in line — even making DISABLED people wait. Nothing to see here, just the next leader of the Democrats, abusing her power!" McClain, R-Mich., posted on her personal campaign account on Sunday.
McClain's post included photos of Crockett apparently skipping the line, outraging the Republican's base with accusations that Crockett is "evil."
A source familiar with the incident said Crockett was the first passenger "other than the crew" to board a Sunday afternoon Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., including before two passengers in wheelchairs.
‘USE A CHAIR’: JASMINE CROCKETT INVOKES 2023 MONTGOMERY BRAWL IN COLLEGE SPEECH
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, "If you self-identify as a passenger with a disability who needs additional time or assistance to board the airplane, the airline must allow you to board the airplane before other passengers."
Customers who need assistance or extra time, active duty U.S. military members and Delta 360 Members, which is an invitation-only membership, are allowed to pre-board within Delta Air Lines' policy.
According to the source, Crockett walked up to the gate flanked by a police officer and "what looked like her staffer," had her boarding pass scanned and then proceeded to board the plane before any other passenger.
When reached by Fox News Digital, Crockett's chief of staff said, "We do not have any comments."
Delta Air Lines did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Reports last week indicated that Crockett, who is currently the vice ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has her eyes set on the chair position of the committee. Crockett would lead oversight of the federal government if she gets the gig, which could include investigating President Donald Trump's agenda.
Crockett, a vocal opponent of Trump's second term, took aim at the president in a social media post on Sunday.
"For you to be in charge of the WHOLE country, you sure do have my name in your mouth a lot. Every time you say my name, you’re reminding the world that you’re terrified of smart, bold Black women telling the truth and holding you accountable. So keep talking," Crockett said.
Trump on Sunday told Kristen Welker, host of NBC's "Meet the Press," that Crockett is a "low IQ person," calling her the future of the Democratic Party, which he described as in "disarray."
Earlier that day, Crockett was criticized by conservatives for her comments during a commencement speech at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, after suggesting the students know how to "use a chair" in the face of adversity, invoking the infamous 2023 Alabama brawl.
"There are people that are going to tell you that there is not a table in which there is not a seat for you, but I am here to remind you of Montgomery and those folding chairs. Let me tell you that we know how to use a chair, whether we [are] pulling it up or we doing something else with it," Crockett said.
Crockett seemed to reference the viral video from August 2023 of a group of White boaters attacking a Black riverboat captain, Dameion Pickett, in Montgomery, Alabama. The white folding chair became a symbol of resistance when a Black man raised a chair over his head in Pickett's defense as the other men attacked him.
The Texas Democrat urged the graduating class at the historically Black college to pull up their own seat at the table, reminding students of the bystanders who rushed to defend Pickett when he was attacked. Conservatives were quick to reply to the clip of Crockett's remarks, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said Crockett's comments were "not cool."