‘Use a chair’: Jasmine Crockett invokes 2023 Montgomery brawl in college speech

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told the graduating class at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, during a commencement speech on Sunday that they know how to “use a chair” in the face of adversity. 

“There are people that are going to tell you that there is not a table in which there is not a seat for you, but I am here to remind you of Montgomery and those folding chairs. Let me tell you that we know how to use a chair, whether we [are] pulling it up or we doing something else with it,” Crockett said. 

During her remarks, Crockett seems to reference the viral video from August 2023 of a group of White boaters attacking a Black riverboat captain, Dameion Pickett, in Montgomery, Alabama. The white folding chair became a symbol of resistance when a Black man raised a chair over his head in Pickett’s defense as the other men attacked him. 

The Texas Democrat urged the graduating class at the historically Black college on Sunday to pull up their own seat at the table, reminding students of the bystanders who rushed to defend Pickett when he was attacked. Conservatives were quick to reply to the clip of Crockett’s remarks, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said Crockett’s comments were “not cool.”

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Crockett’s remarks come on the heels of a contentious back-and-forth with President Donald Trump on Sunday. 

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“For you to be in charge of the WHOLE country, you sure do have my name in your mouth a lot. Every time you say my name, you’re reminding the world that you’re terrified of smart, bold Black women telling the truth and holding you accountable. So keep talking,” Crockett said. 

Trump on Sunday told Kristen Welker, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” that Crockett is a “low I.Q. person,” calling her the future of the Democratic Party, which he described as in “disarray.”

Reports last week indicated that Crockett, who is currently the vice ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has her eyes set on the chair position of the committee. Crockett would lead oversight of the federal government if she gets the gig, which could include leading investigations into Trump’s agenda. 

Conservatives have accused Crockett of inciting violence during Trump’s first 100 days. The progressive lawmaker from Texas was slammed online earlier this year for implying that Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, “has to be knocked over the head, like hard.”

Crockett also said Democrats need to be willing to “punch” in races against Republicans.

The White House’s rapid response account replied to the comments on X, calling Crockett “another unhinged Democrat inciting violence.”

Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Crockett of “threatening lives” and said she should apologize for her rhetoric against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for saying, “‘All I want to see happen on my birthday is for Elon to be taken down.'” Crockett would clarify that her comments were intended as “nonviolent” resistance. 

Crockett was also criticized this year for calling Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, who is in a wheelchair, “Governor Hot Wheels.” She tried to walk back the comments after her remarks went viral, calling the outrage a “distraction” and claiming she was “appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump – a man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities – are now outraged.”

Crockett did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.