Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who recently lost her Senate bid, is facing online backlash after she honored music artist Chris Brown by entering him into the congressional record this past weekend.
“Now, y’all know, I tend to get in trouble every once in a while. I’m a make this real quick. I need to know who run it! So is Dallas in the building?” Crockett said as she took the stage alongside Brown on Saturday evening.
“Let’s give it up for Chris Brown,” she added to applause from the audience.
The moment drew scrutiny from viewers online, raising questions about Crockett’s status as a lawmaker and whether it should be used to celebrate Brown, someone with a history of domestic violence.
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Among other instances of misconduct, Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to felony assault after he attacked his then-girlfriend and famous singer, Rihanna. Many images of her injuries were made public, sparking intense condemnation from the music industry. His violence, however, wouldn’t stop there. He was involved in a 2013 altercation with Frank Ocean, another singer, and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge that same year. In 2017, another ex-girlfriend was granted a domestic violence restraining order against him after she alleged physical abuse.
Most recently, Brown pleaded guilty to charges of striking producer Abe Diaw twice in the head with a glass tequila bottle in July 2023. He is expected to receive a sentence in October for a separate charge for affray, a criminal charge in English law for unlawfully threatening violence against another person.
Andrew Kerr, an investigative reporter with the Washington Free Beacon, quickly noted Brown’s past in a post to X after news of Crockett’s tribute began to spread online.
“Kamala Harris-endorsed Rep. Jasmine Crockett uses her congressional authority to honor Chris Brown, the rapper best known for beating ever-living s— out of Rihanna in 2009,” Kerr wrote.
Shannon Watts, a Democratic activist and political commentator, also pointed out Brown’s storied past.
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“Chris Brown pled guilty to felony assault after brutally attacking Rihanna. Another ex, Karrueche Tran, later obtained a five-year restraining order after testifying that he abused and threatened her. He has also faced multiple allegations of violence and sexual assault against other women,” Watts wrote.
Crockett’s member statement, a form of recognition that lawmakers can have entered into the congressional record without any vote, recognizes “the artistry of Chris Brown and Usher Raymond.”
On stage on Saturday, Crockett framed her member statement as a way to recognize two key artists who had helped shape contemporary R&B and pop music, especially for the Black community.
“I know it’s almost Sunday, so I wanna be clear. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. And right now, we are experiencing Black joy to the highest level, and I wanted to make sure we document that in the Congressional Record,” Crockett said.
But Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross believes that the moment was a political miscalculation, coming across as ignorant of the challenges in the Black community.
“Chris Brown has a problem, and several folks beyond Rihanna have met his violent rage. It’s well-documented. This was a ridiculous move by Crockett,” she wrote on X.
“Also, when Black women suffer [domestic violence] at the highest rates and often fatally, this was tone deaf as hell,” she added.
Eric Michael Garcia, the D.C. bureau chief of the Independent, echoed Cross’ thinking.
“Absolutely disgusting to see Jasmine Crockett platform and honor an abuser of women. Just completely vile,” Garcia wrote in a post of his own.
Dan Winslow, a New York Times bestselling author, hinted that the moment had changed his view of her.
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“CHRIS BROWN plead guilty to beating Rihanna. It was a horrific and savage beating. Crockett thought he deserved to be honored. Absolutely disgusting behavior. I am glad she lost. I will never support her again,” Winslow wrote.
In response to the public backlash, Brown posted a response to his Instagram account, pleading to be left alone and expressing displeasure at Crockett having put him in the spotlight.
“Funny thing is… YALL CAME TO ME WITH THIS! NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. I was minding my own d-mn business. My shows in Dallas were already sold out. I ain’t asked to be honored because I knew some sh-t like this would happen… I have an idea how about y’all leave me the f— alone and let me focus on the fans that spent their money to actually see and support me,” Brown wrote.
Having decided to give up her seat to pursue a Senate bid, Crockett will not be returning to the U.S. House of Representatives at the start of the next congress after she lost to James Talarico, the Democratic nominee in the Lone Star State.