White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a sharply ironic response this week to controversial remarks from freshman Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), who labeled Trump supporters as “mentally ill.”
Asked about the remark during a press briefing on Thursday, Leavitt replied, “She is a rising star … I hope that she continues to be, for the Republican Party at least.”
She also condemned the congresswoman, stating that her remark was an insult to the millions of Americans who struggle with mental health issues.
“It’s incredibly derogatory to accuse nearly 80 million Americans of mental illness. The last time I checked, Jasmine Crockett couldn’t DREAM of winning such a majority of the public as President Trump did,” Leavitt said.
The comment came after Crockett’s appearance on Katie Couric’s “Next Question” podcast on Wednesday, where she made sweeping claims about Americans who support President Donald Trump.
“We’ve got a mental health crisis in this country because everyone, no matter how you affiliate yourself, should be against Trump, period,” Crockett said.
Leavitt’s remarks suggest that the White House sees Crockett’s increasingly unfiltered commentary as politically advantageous for Republicans heading into 2026.
Crockett, a member of the far-left “Squad,” has drawn attention in recent