Jasmine Crocket and the Dangers of Going Off Script

Do you know the time when a leader is most likely to make a mistake? It’s when they’ve done their fare share of interviews. It’s when they are relatively comfortable speaking publicly or doing media interviews. They’ve had their share of success and they no longer approach the media – or public appearances – with the seriousness such appearances deserve.

Another time when a leader is likely to make a mistake is when they go off script. While audiences may love getting a raw version of speakers, communicators cringe when leaders get off message. When leaders get so comfortable in the setting that they’re in that they say anything and everything that pops in their minds, they can create unnecessary challenges for themselves.

We typically see these types of faux pas when leaders are in welcoming environments or when they’re communicating with their base.

Such is the case with Jasmine Crockett. In a speech to the Human Rights Campaign on Saturday, March 22, Crockett referred to Gov. Greg Abott, who uses a wheelchair, as “hot wheels.” It was an unnecessary unforced error, offered with laughs and cheers from the audience. The comment shifted the attention away from the substance of her remarks and placed the focus on elsewhere.

What a lot of us have to remember is it’s not always what we say, its what people hear. And the truth of the matter is that regardless of Crockett’s intentions, many people heard a slight about a person with a disability. That is an unfortunate error.

Now, Crockett is spending time clarifying her remarks. No one needs this level of distraction. Crockett is now facing potential censure by Rep. Randy Weber, who introduced the resolution on March 26. Whether the censure is enacted is beside the point. I hate that she even has to answer questions about this and wish she would have not uttered the phrase in the first place.

To be clear, Crockett is not the only leader who has gone off script and said something she – or at least her aides – probably wished she could rescind. President Donald Trump has gotten off message on multiple occasions as has former President Joe Biden. If we’re honest, most leaders can admit to saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Although there are countless examples of leaders going off message, I worry about Crockett’s vulnerability as a high profile and vocal Black woman. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a warning to Crockett over the latter’s remarks about Elon Musk. There is no need to give detractors another reason to take exception to one’s leadership.

It is possible to say what one feels, but there will always be consequences, especially for women, people of color and certainly Black women. For these reasons and more, I truly hope Crockett, and other leaders carefully monitor what they say – not just for them but for the collective work of preserving and protecting democracy. That is the only thing that should matter.

Jennifer R. Farmer, aka The PR Whisperer^®, is the principal of Spotlight PR LLC. Be sure to check out other blogs and subscribe for regular communications updates.