Crockett defends capitalizing on Greene insult: ‘There was a demand’

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) on Thursday defended fundraising off the “bleach-blonde, bad-built butch body” insult she directed at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) amid a heated exchange between the two lawmakers during a committee hearing earlier this month.

In an interview on ABC’s “The View,” Crockett said she trademarked the phrase after she saw an opportunity to raise money for what she characterized as a righteous pursuit: to save democracy by helping Democrats win control of the lower chamber.

“When I set out to do the trademark, that is not personally done, it is done under the campaign,” Crockett said, noting she was not raising money for her own personal gain. “It was because there was a demand. I’m a business major who also was a lawyer. So the two things came together.”

Crockett criticized House Republicans’ leadership and stressed what she saw as the importance of Democrats winning a majority in the 2024 House elections to retake control of the legislative body.

“This is about making sure that we can raise the monies. It’s so that I can help save our democracy. My money goes to front-liners, people that are in fights to make sure that we can take the House,” Crockett said.

“We’ve seen that the House has been run like a circus. We need [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)] as the Speaker of the House. And so, if they lose the House, I’m going to just go ahead and blame it on Marjorie.”

In response to criticism about her decision to capitalize on the highly contentious moment in the House, Crockett noted the tactic is one used frequently by other public figures — including former President Trump, who, she noted, has pocketed the profit from it in the past.

“Here’s the deal. There are people, such as Trump, that want to peddle Bibles, peddle gym shoes, peddle whatever it is. Anything that he can sell, he’s gonna sell it, and he’s not doing it for his party. He’s doing it for self,” Crockett said.

“So what she meant for evil, in my opinion, God meant for good. And so that’s what I was going to do in that moment,” she said.

During a House hearing on whether to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress, chaos erupted following a contentious exchange between Greene and Crockett.

Greene asked Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee whether they were employing the daughter of the judge overseeing Trump’s hush money case.

Crockett responded, saying, “Please tell me what that has to do with Merrick Garland,” and adding, “Do you know what we’re here for?”

“I don’t think you know what you’re here for,” Greene fired back. “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.”

After a chaotic scene unfolded in the chamber — with many Democrats expressing outrage that Greene would comment on Crockett’s physical appearance in such a manner — Crockett asked Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) a hypothetical question about his decision on whether to strike Greene’s words from the official congressional record.

“I’m just curious, just to better understand your ruling,” Crockett said about the chairman’s ruling on the comments. “If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody’s bleach-blonde, bad-built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?”

Crockett’s turn of phrase quickly went viral on social media, and she subsequently announced on the social platform X that she would be launching a “Crockett Clapback Collection.” She also posted a photo of a T-shirt that reads, “Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Body,” which she said would be available first.