Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett is under fire online after allegedly having armed security remove Atlantic staff reporter Elaine Godfrey from a Senate campaign event on Monday.
Godfrey reported being “kicked out” after Crockett’s team branded her a “class hater.” She described her experience just before being escorted away, saying, “Right before armed security took me out and left me on the side of a road in Texas, I was told I could no longer attend the event I was already at.”
Godfrey explained that after spending about an hour at a Lubbock rally for Crockett’s campaign and mingling with other reporters, a woman with a badge confronted her. She recalled, “‘Are you Elaine?’ she asked, identifying me as I entered the event. I said yes, and then she told me I had to leave. When I pressed for a reason, the staffer checked her phone and relayed that ‘they said, ‘Elaine from Atlantic, this white girl with a hat and a notepad.’ She’s interviewing people in the crowd. She’s a class hater and spins. She needs to go.’
After Godfrey’s article went live, Crockett told CBS that there was “no evidence” supporting the claim that Godfrey was removed from the event. She referred to it as “silly season” and suggested that Godfrey had faced a defamation lawsuit previously.
In response to Crockett’s comments regarding past lawsuits involving certain journalists, Godfrey countered, “Maybe she had someone else in mind, because that has never happened to me.”
Criticism of Crockett quickly spread across social media, with some questioning her preparedness for public office. Former CNN journalist Chris Cillizza remarked on X: “This is terrible for @JasmineForUS. Not ready for anything like prime time.”
Journalist Zaid Jilani echoed the sentiment, asking how Crockett could connect with Texas voters if she couldn’t handle reporters from The Atlantic, who often lean Democratic. An X user also asserted that if Crockett struggled with questions from The Atlantic and allowed her staff to label a reporter in such a derogatory manner, she wouldn’t survive the election.
Another user chimed in with, “Amateur night in Texas with the whole croquet team.” Charlie Sykes, former editor of Bulwark, added, “Apparently Jasmine Crockett has a problem with critical media.”
This isn’t the first time Crockett has faced backlash for her reaction to Godfrey’s reporting. Godfrey had previously shared that Crockett expressed dissatisfaction over a profile she wrote, claiming she hadn’t been consulted about comments from other lawmakers.
Crockett’s office has yet to respond to requests for comment.
