Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, spoke candidly about her safety concerns following the recent shootings of two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota.
On Thursday, Crockett appeared on ABC’s The View. When asked if she feels safe “as an elected official in this political climate,” the 44-year-old told the co-hosts, “No, not at all,” according to The Hill.
Jasmine Crockett said Congress should shift funds to cover lawmakers’ security
Crockett continued, suggesting that Congress should allocate some funds from other projects, including the recent U.S. Army military parade President Donald Trump initiated on June 14 to coincide with his 79th birthday.
“I mean, here’s the deal: I do this job, and the fact that my safety is a part of doing this job is really bad, in and of itself, but while we spend millions upon millions just so that this guy can go and golf, or while they spent $45 million for his little birthday parade,” the lawmaker said.
“I’m just saying, can we reprioritize some of those dollars?” she asked.
‘We have nothing’
Crockett also pointed out that a recent spending bill included over $25 million for 24/7 security for the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices.
“Listen, I’m not even asking for a million, but can we get something? Because we have nothing,” Crockett said. “The only people in the House that have protection, you get protection based upon your leadership post. That’s it. Those are the only ones. And so when you figure out security, you have to hopefully raise enough money to then be able to pay for security yourself.”
“This is a problem, especially in light of the environment,” the congresswoman who has represented Texas’ 30th District since 2023 added.
Crockett said she spoke with a Republican colleague about introducing legislation to fund security for lawmakers. Despite political differences, both Democrats and Republicans have condemned the recent violence and threats against legislators.
“We still have a role to play,” Crockett said. “I get that nobody really likes the Congress, but I mean, we still are duly elected, and we’re a co-equal branch of government, but we always seem like we’re the stepchild.”
Who was the gunman in the Minnesota shootings?
Crockett’s comments come nearly a week after Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in the suburban neighborhood of Brooklyn Park.
In a separate shooting, state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot at their home in the Champlin suburb, Blavity reported.
The suspected gunman, Vance Luther Boelter, had an extensive list of other state Democratic lawmakers, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison. He was later captured and taken into custody.
