Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) claimed that just because people commit crimes, it “doesn’t make them a criminal,” adding that it depends on the person’s “mindset.”
During an interview with “genderqueer” Netflix star Jonathan Van Ness, Crockett was asked about having worked as a public defender, and what she wished that “people knew.” Crockett responded by explaining that when you are “assigned to only deal with indigent people” you end up learning “a lot about yourself.”
“It’s just understanding what ends up having people become criminally impacted really informs so much of what I do legislatively, right?” Crockett continued. “So, when people are like, ‘Oh, you know, crime is terrible.’ And, yes it is. Because when somebody goes out and commits a crime, they don’t typically say, ‘Well, I’m a D, I’m a R, I’m a I. It’s not like, literally like, it’s about, how do you fix it? How do you make communities safer?”
Crockett continued to explain that as a public defender, she was in a “unique situation,” because she had “conversations with people that were going out and committing crimes” and was able to understand what was “pushing” them to commit those crimes.
“And, so, I do want people to know that just because someone has committed a crime, it doesn’t make them a criminal. That is completely different. Being a criminal is more so about your mindset. Committing a crime can come from a lot of different reasons,” Crockett added.
Breitbart News’s Jasmyn Jordan reported that during an interview on the Grounded podcast, Crockett claimed that some crimes are committed “not because people are criminals” but because those people “are trying to survive.”:
“There are crimes that are committed, not because people are criminals, but because they literally are trying to survive,” Crockett stated. She went on to cite Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, who in past remarks suggested that his office would not prosecute low-level theft cases involving food, diapers, or other necessities. Crockett noted Creuzot “probably should have said it out loud,” but nonetheless agreed with the approach, adding that “there is no good point in doing it because a decent defense attorney would have a defense.”
Crockett’s comments on crime and criminals comes as she has accused President Donald Trump of “unlawfully going into various minority controlled cities” with the National Guard.
