In an interview published Friday in Vanity Fair, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, claimed that some Latinos exhibited a “slave mentality” when they voted for Donald Trump last month. NBC News’ Exit Poll reported Kamala Harris capturing 52% of Hispanic voters, compared with 46% for Trump. That was a 13-point increase from 2020 and a record-high for a Republican presidential nominee.
“It almost reminds me of what people would talk about when they would talk about kind of like ‘slave mentality’ and the hate that some slaves would have for themselves,” she told the magazine. In expressing her belief that these Latinos associate “illegals” with criminals and cartels, she said, “It’s almost like a slave mentality that they have. It is wild to me when I hear how anti-immigrant they are as immigrants, many of them. I’m talking about people that literally just got here and can barely vote that are having this kind of attitude.”
Crockett, a first-term representative from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, claimed that, unlike Asian, African or Caribbean communities, she’s only seen what she considers self-loathing and self-defeating politics among Latinos. (That, of course, ignores the existence of Asian, African and Caribbean Latinos.)
Crockett’s remarks weren’t just offensive. They were hurtful. And all Latinos, no matter their political ideology or leaning, should speak out against them. Her comments made Latino voters sound unsophisticated, uninformed and incapable of thinking for themselves. And, while this is a secondary point, they were also politically disastrous. Trump-friendly outlets, including Fox News and the New York Post, have seized upon them as if to say, here’s what Democrats think of you, Latinos.
Trump’s campaign thrived on division and employed anti-immigrant language to pit communities of color against one another. During Trump’s debate against President Joe Biden, for example, he claimed that recent immigrants are “taking Black jobs now … and Hispanic jobs” once again doubling down on an us vs. them tactic that sadly has appeal. Unfortunately, there are segments of the Latino electorate who applaud Trump’s rhetoric, particularly his law-and-order messaging, which continues to frustrate those like me who try to counter such narratives with community voices that see right through that. But framing it as self-hate oversimplifies a far more complex reality that includes Latinos’ economic aspirations, their frustrations with Democrats, and changing generational dynamics.
Democrats ought to be discussing how they can earn back the trust of voters they continue to lose. Instead, they try to place the blame on voters. If Crockett was disappointed with how Latinos voted in 2024, there is a way to say it without demeaning the very same people you want back in your corner.
By falling into these same traps, Crockett played right into Trump’s hands. Missing from the Vanity Fair interview was why some Latinos were drawn to his message and not that of the Democratic Party: Pew Research listed the economy as the top concern for Latino voters who voted in 2024, followed by health care and violent crime, but those priorities were barely registering in the Democrats’ final 2024 push to the White House. UnidosUS, whose action fund endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential candidacy, found that Latino voters, particularly younger ones, are increasingly identifying as politically independent. This shift reflects growing frustration with both parties and a rejection of outdated assumptions about political loyalty.
On Tuesday, in a lengthy statement sent via email by her office in response to a request for comment, Crockett, instead of simply apologizing for what she said, attempted to clarify what she meant. “I used the term ‘slave mentality’ in the way it has commonly been used to refer to Black Americans who support anti-Black politicians and policies: voters who throw their support behind people who have openly ridiculed their communities and promoted policies that would directly harm them,” she wrote. “I did not use this language with the intention to divide Black and Brown communities — in fact, I use this language to point out our common struggle while highlighting the hurdles that stand between us.”
Crockett went further, arguing that anti-Black racism has “become as much a part of assimilation as a love for football and apple pie,” describing it as a deliberate political wedge used to divide.
That broader point — that anti-Black racism remains a painful and persistent reality in American politics— is undeniable. And yes, anti-Blackness exists in Latino communities and, as I’ve written frequently, it must be eradicated. But that’s not what Crockett told Vanity Fair. She could have thoughtfully brought up these systemic challenges, but she did not until after the fact. She dismissed Latino voters’ political choices as a symptom of their dysfunction while fueling the very divisions she opposes.
Crockett’s comments won’t be quickly forgotten, for no other reason that her Republican opponents will make sure they’re remembered. Right-wing media thrives on these moments, using them to deepen divides and distract from the real issues Latino voters face: economic instability, political disillusionment and the sense that neither party is truly listening. Instead of challenging Republican narratives, remarks like these play right into them. Crockett is a rising voice in the fight against Trump and Republicans, and she will play a key role for Democrats in the new administration. Crockett, especially as a U.S. representative from Texas, needs Latinos as allies, not adversaries. The opportunity is there: Equis Research still found that Latino voters lean more favorably toward Democrats, even with their frustrations. Texas was an exception, but across major Senate races, Republicans underperformed Trump in densely Latino areas, a sign that their gains might not extend beyond Trump’s ballot presence. For Democrats, the path forward lies in being an opposition that doesn’t speak down to Latinos but speaks to them — acknowledging their concerns and earning their trust. Unity won’t come from Democrats slamming the very voters Democrats need. Crockett ended her statement by saying, “If we are going to successfully unite against these harmful policies, we must first reject anti-immigrant and anti-Black bigotry. United we stand, divided we fall.” She’s not wrong. Rejecting bigotry is essential, but unity won’t come from Democrats slamming the very voters Democrats need. It comes from listening, understanding their concerns, and recognizing the validity of their political choices as valid. Latino voters, like all voters, demand respect, not more unnecessary blame for a Democratic presidential loss. You can’t say, “United we stand, divided we fall,” while dismissing a whole class of voters as suffering from a slave mentality.
Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder of "The Latino Newsletter" and co-editor of "Pressing Issues from Free Press." 
