Patriot Brief

• Jasmine Crockett declined to clearly explain or retreat from her reparations proposal.

• Her response relied on rhetoric rather than specifics or policy clarity.

• Public support for reparations remains limited nationwide.

Jasmine Crockett had an opportunity to clear the air on reparations, and she chose not to take it. Asked directly about her past comments suggesting tax exemptions for Black Americans, the Texas congresswoman offered a response heavy on sentiment and light on substance. Rather than clarifying her position, she circled familiar talking points about “contributions,” “harm,” and “moving the needle,” leaving listeners no clearer than before about what she actually supports.

That vagueness appears intentional. Reparations polls poorly outside progressive activist circles, and Crockett’s refusal to define terms allows her to signal sympathy without owning the policy implications. When pressed, she pivoted — not toward specifics, but toward Donald Trump, January 6 defendants, and billionaire tax cuts. The move reframed the conversation without answering the question at hand.

What stood out most was the contrast between bold language and cautious execution. Crockett spoke approvingly of “bold, unapologetic” leadership, yet avoided committing to a concrete plan that voters could evaluate. Instead, she leaned into broader concepts like “truth and reconciliation,” a phrase that sounds purposeful but often functions as a placeholder rather than a policy.

With only a minority of Americans supporting reparations, ambiguity may be politically safer than clarity. But for a Senate candidate asking voters for a promotion, dodging a direct explanation carries its own risks — especially when the record is already on tape.

From Western Journal:

Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett gave a meandering response on her reparations stance during a Thursday episode of REVOLT News’ “The People’s Brief.”

Crockett, who is running for Senate, said on “The Black Lawyers Podcast” in April 2024 that she was open to exempting black people from paying taxes as a type of reparations.

On the REVOLT News show, host Lynae Vanee said there was “some misinformation” surrounding Crockett’s position on the issue, but the Senate candidate failed to clarify it.

“I think that anybody that knows me knows that I’m a fan of, you know, making sure that people understand our contributions as well as acknowledging the harm that has happened as it relates to our people,” Crockett said.

“And so for me, it’s always been about what is it that we can actually get passed?”

“Because I feel like what we do is we constantly have the conversation and we’re like ‘Reparations, reparations.’ But it’s like, all right, so if we were to move forward in any way, what does that look like?” she continued.

“And so, you know, I look at it like I think it takes kind of some bold, unapologetic people to move the needle.”

Crockett then pivoted to criticizing President Donald Trump for floating the idea of compensating those prosecuted for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and making his 2017 tax cuts permanent.

“We know that Donald Trump advocated for reparations for January 6ers, right?” she said. “And so it’s like, why is that not a big controversy, right? Like, I mean, that’s a bit more controversial in my mind, right?”

“So why is it that we can sit here and be okay with the fact that billionaires are going to get historic tax cuts that are permanent and we’re not talking about like really evaluating what could move the needle as it relates to how far behind we got because of our contributions basically just from slave labor and yeah,” she added.

Crockett also said she was working on “truth and reconciliation” in the House of Representatives. She introduced the “United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Concurrent Resolution” in June to push for the establishment of a congressional commission scrutinizing the effect of “systemic racism” on black Americans, along with continuing “racial inequities.”

Just 38 percent of American adults backed black descendants of slaves getting reparations, according to a YouGov poll conducted Jan. 31 to Feb. 9.

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