A heated debate over race and merit in hiring has emerged between Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D) and Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt (R) following remarks Rep. Crockett made about her first job as a public criminal defender.
During a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight meeting on corruption in the FBI under the Biden administration, Rep. Crockett recounted how she approached her boss with confidence, despite lacking criminal defense experience, and urging him to hire her because of her race.
"When I first became a public criminal defender, I had no criminal defense experience, and I walked in and I told my boss Charlie, I said, ‘listen, you should hire me.’ He said why? I said, ‘because I’m Black,’" Rep. Crockett recalled.
She explained that she believed her background would allow her to build "a level of rapport and understanding" with clients that some of her colleagues might not have. "Charlie offered me my job, and I worked my butt off, and I worked really, really hard for all of my clients, not just those that look like me, and that is what it looks like to serve," she said.
It’s an understatement to say that Jasmine Crockett and I see the world differently.
I never asked for a handout based on the color of my skin. I didn’t tell the United States Military Academy to accept me because I’m Black—I earned my place.
There was no “skin color” exam… pic.twitter.com/x6Wzq00bie
— Wesley Hunt (@WesleyHuntTX) April 4, 2025
Her story has sparked sharp criticism from the likes of Rep. Hunt, who pushed back against the notion of race playing a role in employment decisions during an interview on Fox News.
"You can’t have it both ways, and Jasmine and I just don’t see the world the same way," Rep. Hunt expressed during the interview. "I don’t want to walk in a room and get a job cause I’m Black. I want to walk in a room and get a job because I’m qualified, because I’m educated, because I have hard work, determination, grit, because I believe in this country."
Rep. Hunt, a West Point graduate, took to social media to share the interview segment, further condemning Crockett’s comments.
"I never asked for a handout based on the color of my skin," he wrote.
"Bragging about being a DEI hire isn’t the flex she thinks it is. It’s a disservice—not just to herself, but to the illusion her party keeps selling: that identity matters more than merit."
