Rep. Jasmine Crockett kicked off her U.S. Senate run in Texas with a campaign video that had people double-checking whether it was a parody. The spot, called “Jasmine for Texas,” shows her standing still and staring straight into the camera for more than half a minute while audio of Donald Trump repeatedly insulting her plays in the background. She doesn’t respond. She doesn’t blink much. She just lets the president talk.
The video rolls through Trump calling her “their new star” before pivoting into attacks. He says she’s a “really low IQ person,” repeats it multiple times, and sounds amazed at the idea that she could be a leader in the Democratic Party. The clip ends with Crockett breaking into a grin, and then a simple title card appears that says “Crockett For U.S. Senate.”
It didn’t take long for the ad to explode online. Conservatives piled on, calling the video awkward and self-obsessed. Matt Wolking, a Republican operative, joked that it fit perfectly with a report from a few months ago that Crockett kept a photo of herself as her phone lock screen. The Daily Wire chimed in, saying it was wild that “Trump says I’m dumb” is her main pitch to voters.
Even people who had never heard of Crockett were suddenly watching the clip because of how strange it was. Some thought it was a bold choice to use Trump’s voice as the centerpiece of a Senate launch. Others saw it as a misfire that handed her critics an easy punchline. Either way, the ad got her the attention she clearly knew it would.
Crockett made her run official the same day former Democratic Rep. Colin Allred announced he was dropping out of the race. With Allred stepping aside, her announcement video became the main story of the day for Texas Democrats, but the conversation quickly shifted to whether the ad was a smart move or just a viral gimmick.
People across social media kept debating it. Was Crockett trying to troll Trump by showing his insults don’t rattle her? Was she going for defiant calm in the face of mockery? Or was she simply banking on shock value in a crowded media environment? Her supporters argued that refusing to react to Trump made her look unbothered. Her critics said the whole thing looked like an AI glitch.
Whatever the intent, the ad did what political launch videos rarely do. It got people talking beyond the usual political crowd. It sparked memes, commentary, and plenty of confusion. And for a Senate candidate trying to build name recognition fast, that attention may end up being the point.
Crockett hasn’t explained the creative choice yet but her grin at the end suggests she knew the reactions were coming. As she steps into a statewide race that will demand money, visibility, and a thick skin, she seems ready to make her case in her own unconventional way even if it means opening her campaign with Trump calling her stupid on repeat.