Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, is facing online criticism after an Atlantic reporter said she was escorted out of a Senate campaign event in Lubbock by security personnel, including at least one armed guard.
Journalist Elaine Godfrey detailed the incident in a piece published by The Atlantic, writing that she had just finished covering Crockett’s rally Tuesday and was attempting to conduct additional interviews when a woman with a badge approached her.
“Her team has asked you to leave,” the woman reportedly told Godfrey. According to the reporter, the same staffer had earlier directed her to the designated press area.
When Godfrey asked for clarification, she wrote that the woman explained: “They just said, ‘Elaine from Atlantic, white girl with a hat and notepad. She’s interviewing people in the crowd. She’s a top-notch hater and will spin. She needs to leave.’”
Godfrey added that four security guards — “at least one of whom was armed” — escorted her from the venue, across the parking lot, and toward a nearby highway where she called for transportation.
The incident comes after prior tensions between Crockett and Godfrey. The reporter previously wrote a profile of the congresswoman that Crockett had criticized and, according to Godfrey, unsuccessfully sought to block.
Reaction to the episode was swift and came from across the political spectrum.
“This is so bad by [Crockett]. Not ready for primetime sort of stuff,” political journalist Chris Cillizza wrote on X.
Progressive journalist Zaid Jilani also questioned the optics, suggesting that persuading moderate Texas voters would require broader engagement. Tommy Vietor, a former Obama administration official and co-host of “Pod Save America,” wrote: “The Crockett campaign had armed security guards eject an Atlantic reporter from an event??? Why???”
Crockett’s office did not respond to requests for comment from multiple outlets. However, the congresswoman told CBS News that there is “no evidence” Godfrey was removed from the event and claimed the reporter had previously been sued for defamation and lost — an assertion Godfrey denied in her account.
The controversy unfolds as Crockett campaigns in a competitive Democratic Senate primary. According to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average, she leads state lawmaker James Talarico by three points ahead of the March 3 primary election.
