On March 25, 2025, a firestorm erupted in the political sphere after Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas made a controversial remark about Texas Governor Greg Abbott, referring to him as “Governor Hot Wheels” during a Human Rights Campaign dinner in Los Angeles. The comment, widely criticized as insensitive and classless, targeted Abbott, who has used a wheelchair since a tragic accident in 1984 left him paralyzed from the waist down. The backlash was swift, with Republicans and social media users condemning Crockett’s words as a new low in political discourse, while others debated the broader context of her statement and the hypocrisy of her critics.
Crockett’s comment came during a speech on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the Human Rights Campaign event, where she was addressing Abbott’s policies, specifically his controversial migrant busing program. The program, part of Abbott’s Operation Lone Star initiative launched in 2021, has involved transporting asylum seekers to Democratic-led cities, often led by Black mayors, in what critics describe as a deliberate attempt to stoke tension and fear in vulnerable communities.