Jasmine Crockett says some Republicans would 'absolutely' vote for her in a general election
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, asserted that some Republicans would "absolutely" vote for her in a general election as the freshman congresswoman battles to become the state's Democratic nominee for the Senate.
During an appearance on MS NOW’s "The Weeknight," Crockett was asked by co-host Michael Steele whether Republicans could be convinced she is "the representative they need in Washington" if she were to reach the general election.
"Oh, absolutely," Crockett replied. "Now, Michael, you can maybe talk about this a little bit more because I think the Democrats have a perception of what Republicans want."
She argued that Republican voters "aren’t looking for somebody that is Republican lite," and if they were, "they could just go and get the real thing."
"What they want is somebody that they know who they are," she contended. "I have text messages from Republicans that have made it clear that if there is a certain person that ends up making it through, they are absolutely voting for me because they know who I am."
While Crockett admitted she may not be Republican voters' "perfect candidate," she insisted that President Donald Trump wasn't either, and he was still able to garner their support and win the White House.
"When Republicans went out and voted for a less than perfect candidate in Donald Trump — they don’t seek perfection, whereas Democrats typically do," she claimed. "And, so, while I may not be their perfect candidate, they know that. I know the issues. They know that I know how to work across the aisle when necessary.
"And they also know that I don’t take any mess. And when you are Texas, then it’s a matter of you don’t mess with Texas."
In December, while talking to CNN, Crockett said she wasn't trying to win over supporters of President Donald Trump.
"I don‘t know that we’ll necessarily convert all of Trump‘s supporters," she said. "That’s not our goal."
The Texas congresswoman is running against state Rep. James Talarico, D-Texas, in the Lone Star State’s Democratic Senate primary.
Despite her quick rise in U.S. politics, some on the left have begun to question Crockett's candidacy if she were to reach the general election.
Last week, liberal New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg argued that former "Saturday Night Live" star Bowen Yang and his podcast co-host Matt Rogers "were right" to criticize Crockett's Senate campaign on their "Las Culturistas" show earlier this month.
Goldberg noted that while the controversy surrounding Yang and Rogers' comments may seem trivial, "it merits attention" because "the underlying issue could cost Democrats the Senate this fall."
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The two comedians received backlash after Rogers urged listeners not to donate to Crockett’s campaign, criticizing politicians who make everything "about themselves." Yang agreed with Rogers, but both apologized days later for the remarks.
As noted by Goldberg, Yang and Rogers faced pushback from Crockett and her supporters, who accused the hosts of racism and misogyny.
"But Rogers and Yang were right to be skeptical of Crockett, who almost certainly cannot win a general election in Texas," the columnist contended. "Those who disagree have every right to criticize them, and me. But progressives shouldn’t let a retrograde style of internet discourse inhibit them from pointing out the obvious."
Goldberg asserted "it’s not race and gender that make Crockett a bad candidate," but rather her "theory about how Democrats can win Texas is wrong." She said that while she can understand why "lots of Democrats adore Crockett," she also sees why others are turned off by her political style.
"Some of her insults are in bad taste — she has called Texas’ governor, Greg Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, ‘Hot Wheels’ — but it’s easy to see why Democrats who feel brutalized by Trump want champions willing to go low," Goldberg wrote.
Aside from Crockett's sometimes brash style, the columnist also made the case that Talarico has proven he has the ability to do something that Crockett has yet to accomplish — turn a red seat blue.
Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.