WASHINGTON – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Democrats lack vision and policy proposals after U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, referred to him as “Governor Hot Wheels.”
Abbott has used a wheelchair since he was partially paralyzed as a young man in 1984 when a tree fell on him.
Crockett’s comments at a Human Rights Campaign dinner in Los Angeles over the weekend elicited outrage from Republicans when they circulated online this week and she now faces a possible censure.
Abbott discussed Crockett with Sean Hannity during an appearance late Tuesday on his Fox News show.
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“It’s another day and another disaster by the Democrats,” Abbott said. “The reality is they have no vision, no policy. They have nothing to sell but hate and Americans are not buying it.”
Abbott said Texas ranks highly in job creation, economic development and overall business environment. He highlighted the state’s role in cutting-edge areas such as space exploration, artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing.
“The 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,” Abbott said.
Crockett has tried to re-frame her comments and push back on a wave of criticism. In a brief interview Tuesday, she told The Dallas Morning News that Republicans are trying to distract the public by focusing on her.
Later that day, her office said in a statement she did not intend any harm to the governor or mean to take lightly any medical conditions he might have. Crockett posted on X that she wasn’t “thinking about the governor’s condition” but was focused on his policies.
“I 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,” Crockett posted. “At no point did I mention or allude to his condition.”
Republicans and conservative commentators have rejected that explanation and said Crockett was mocking the governor for using a wheelchair.
On his Wednesday podcast, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, described Abbott as a dear friend and mentor. As Texas attorney general, Abbott appointed Cruz as solicitor general.
Cruz criticized Crockett for her remarks at the Human Rights Campaign event and took issue with the crowd laughing at them.
“They’re cheering, yes, ‘Governor Hot Wheels,’ he’s disabled in a wheelchair. Ha ha ha,” Cruz said. “What the hell’s wrong with these people?”
The Human Rights Campaign did not respond to a Tuesday email request for comment about the criticism of Crockett’s remarks.
Cruz has criticized Crockett on several fronts, including her recent participation in a call for people to protest Tesla over CEO Elon Musk leading efforts to cut federal agencies.
“She seems to be the darling of the radical left because she calls for crazy things,” Cruz said.
Crockett faces a censure resolution introduced by a fellow Texan, U.S. Rep. Randy Weber, R-Friendswood. It’s not clear when that resolution could come to the floor for a vote.
The resolution describes her remarks as “discriminatory in nature” and “the latest in a continued series of inappropriate comments.”
The resolution cites a May 2024 hearing in which Crockett used the phrase “bleach-blond, bad-built butch body” about U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
That came after Greene made a comment about Crockett’s “fake eyelashes.”
