Key Takeaways:
- Crockett claimed her massive social media following qualified her to lead House Democrats on Oversight—her colleagues didn’t buy it.
- She finished dead last in the vote after concerns surfaced she might push for impeaching Trump, rattling moderates.
- Even Dem strategist James Carville questioned her approach, asking, “Does that help us at the end of the day?”
Rising Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) just learned the hard way: Twitter followers don’t equal political capital. In a cringe self-promoting pitch to lead Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, Crockett told The Atlantic she deserved the role because she had the biggest social media following. Spoiler alert: her colleagues weren’t impressed.
While veteran Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) prepared to step down amid health issues, Crockett launched her campaign—texts, emails, hallway schmoozing—all based on her supposed communications superpowers. “There’s one clear person in the race that has the largest social-media following,” she boasted. That person was, of course, her.
She even told Rep. Maxine Dexter that Americans simply didn’t know Biden was “an old man that gets sh*t done,” suggesting she could fix that narrative with viral flair. Unfortunately for her, style didn’t beat substance. When reports surfaced that Crockett might use the post to push for another Trump impeachment, moderate Democrats got cold feet. She pulled just six votes, dead last, while Rep. Robert Garcia of California sailed to victory.
Adding to the drama, Crockett reportedly tried to halt The Atlantic’s interviews with colleagues once she realized her performance wasn’t resonating. James Carville nailed it: “She has an instinct for making headlines. But does that help us at the end of the day?”
Crockett’s loss proves a timeless truth: leadership is earned—not liked, shared, or followed. Washington still requires more than a good filter and a trending hashtag.