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Graduates Deserved a Speech, Got a TikTok Monologue
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Graduates Deserved a Speech, Got a TikTok Monologue

Representative Jasmine Crockett may have been trying to inspire when she took the stage at Tougaloo College’s commencement ceremony, but her performance—now amplified by former President Donald Trump’s pointed critique—has catapulted her from rising star to national headline for all the wrong reasons.

In a weekend interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker, Trump, discussing the disarray of Democratic leadership, casually referenced Crockett, branding her as a “low-IQ person” and a symbol of what he sees as the party’s crumbling bench. Predictably, the backlash was swift, with Democrats accusing Trump of racism and media outlets amplifying the familiar outrage cycle. But step back from the fury for a moment and you’ll find that Trump, as always, knows exactly what he’s doing.


Trump didn’t mention race. He rarely does when lobbing his signature verbal bombs. He’s called white men, women, and even entire institutions “low IQ” before. His critics often try to hang his insults as coded racial attacks—but isn’t it a bit telling that the assumption connects IQ with race at all? The outrage, in this case, is built more on projection than content.

Meanwhile, Crockett has done little to dispel the notion that she’s more about buzz than substance. Her Tougaloo speech aimed to channel grit and empowerment but instead veered into awkward theatrics and half-formed metaphors. “Let me tell you that we know how to use a chair,” she said, in a puzzling callback to a viral Alabama brawl meme. The silence in the room said what needed to be said: the line fell flat.

But it’s not just the delivery that raised eyebrows—it’s the message. Crockett followed her chair metaphor with a speech peppered with claims about systemic oppression, diversity hire criticisms, and Jim Crow analogies. She argued that America hasn’t changed, it’s just masked its racism in more “socially acceptable” language. That’s a grim outlook to deliver to graduates stepping into the world—and it undercuts the very idea of progress her presence is supposed to represent.


Crockett later accused Trump of being “terrified of smart, bold Black women.” But here’s the twist: Trump wants her in the spotlight. He’s elevating her name not because he fears her—but because he sees political opportunity. Like “The Squad” before her, Crockett’s brand of activism, social-media-ready one-liners, and progressive posturing are polarizing enough to rally his base while sowing division in hers.

What Crockett is learning—perhaps the hard way—is that when you step into the national spotlight, especially with ambition and attitude, the scrutiny follows. Trump didn’t need to call her anything more than “Crockett.” The media and her defenders did the rest. And that, politically speaking, is a masterclass in bait-setting.

Written by Arthur Higgens - May 5, 2025