Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) comments about her physical appearance demonstrate that she’s “absolutely” racist.
“She is racist. I mean, I don’t have any questions about that. Because, I mean, I don’t know that she’s ever attacked her own colleagues,” Crockett said, referring to Greene’s comments during a hearing that descended into chaos after the Georgia lawmaker taunted Crockett over her false eyelashes.
She noted that Greene hasn’t attacked other colleagues over their appearance, including Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), even though the two have feuded in the past.
“Her and Boebert aren’t getting along. Boebert has clip-ins in her hair. And Boebert wears lashes, too, sometimes — it looks like. I don’t know. But she doesn’t attack her for any of her [physical embellishments]. She doesn’t do that, right? But she decided to do it to me. So absolutely [she’s a racist],” Crockett said.
“She probably will raise money, because the racists are going to be so happy to give it to her.”
A meeting to mark up a resolution to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt was overshadowed by Greene’s comments and led to a string of barbs, as well as other comments about the Georgia lawmaker’s appearance.
“Please tell me what that has to do with Merrick Garland,” Crockett said at one point during the hearing, later adding, “Do you know what we’re here for?”
“I don’t think you know what you’re here for,” Greene responded. “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.”
The remarks led to a lengthy detour about whether to strike Greene’s words, as other members like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called them “disgusting” and urged her to apologize.
More disorder ensued later when Crockett asked if a hypothetical comment — which appeared to be a veiled jab at Greene — would break congressional protocol.
“I’m just curious, just to better understand your ruling,” Crockett said, referring to a ruling committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) had made about Greene’s comments. “If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody’s bleach blond bad built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?”
Greene addressed the matter in a lengthy post on the social platform X Friday morning that largely railed against Democrats in Congress and the White House and touched on former President Trump’s trial.
“Some people are upset about the scene from Oversight Committee last night, well I’m upset and disgusted pretty much everyday at the Democrat controlled DOJ, federal government, and Congress in general,” Greene wrote.
“Pardon me if I don’t talk as nicely as some people would like to hear.”
Ocasio-Cortez on Friday also pointed to the racial undertones of Greene’s remarks.
“It is not lost on me that Ms. [Greene] targeted one of the only Black women on the committee for some of the most egregious and disgusting comments and with the expectation that it will be ignored,” she told reporters.
Michael Lillis and Cheyanne M. Daniels contributed.