Jasmine Crockett says she did not endorse Wesley Bell. So why does the internet think she did?

Between photo, a video, and rumored endorsements, here’s what’s going on with Jasmine Crockett, Wesley Bell, and Cori Bush.

Every week, every day, every minute, social media users are engaging in a new conversation. And recently, some timelines were flooded with debates about Jasmine Crockett, whether or not she endorsed Missouri congressman Wesley Bell, what this means for former congresswoman Cori Bush’s campaign against Bell, and more. So here is a breakdown of what has turned social media users into political analysts. 

Missouri is deep in campaign season, and among the many candidates putting their bids in the political race are Democratic candidate Bell, running for re-election, and Bush, hoping to win her seat back in the House of Representatives after losing to Bell.

On Saturday, May 16, St. Louis Democrats hosted their annual Democratic Gala. An event that politics and culture commentator Reecie Colbert tells theGrio is typically considered “neutral territory” as the organization does not make any political endorsement in the primaries. That evening, Crockett appeared as the event’s keynote speaker, during which Bell introduced her to the audience. Days after the event on May 18, the Missouri congressman shared a photo of him and Crockett on stage, writing: “It was an honor to welcome my friend and colleague Jasmine Crockett home to St. Louis Saturday night. Jasmine is one of the most effective fighters in Congress, and she had the St. Louis County Democrats Gala fired up and ready for the fight ahead.” 

The picture quickly sparked widespread endorsement on social media, as many saw the two’s appearance together as reflecting Crockett’s support for Bell’s campaign. 

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While many social media users debated whether a photo is a fair way to assess political alliances, Dr. Christina Greer, a professor of political science, explained why some may see the photo as an endorsement. 

“Putting myself in the mind of just a lay person, if I see a very popular politician who can galvanize money and votes very quickly, if I see her next to someone in a highly charged competitive race,” Dr. Greer told theGrio. “I might make the leap. Now, it’s a leap, but make it nonetheless that this individual is endorsing someone, because if not in this moment, why would they necessarily be seen with them?” 

As social media users debated the photo, a video of Crockett surfaced online on May 21, where she is heard saying: “We are living in unprecedented times, and I can tell you there’s no one better for this moment for MO-1, to keep his eye on the prize, which is you, the people, than Wesley Bell.”  

Her comments in the video, paired with the circulating video, caused many social media users to believe that the Texas representative endorsed Bell. Many users have raised issues about Bell, whose campaign is reportedly supported by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Similarly, some users expressed disappointment at what they understood to be her endorsement of Bell over Bush, a fellow Black woman running in the same race. 

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Amid the discourse, Crockett addressed the endorsement allegations in a series of posts on Threads, writing: “Y’all are hilarious! It’s 9:00 am where I am & I’m awakened to the same overly pressed paid losers talking sh-t. Now that I’ve got your attention, @thefirepac lists all of our FORMALLY endorsed candidates. When a MEMBER of CONGRESS invites you to their district on behalf of an org to speak, we aren’t sh-tty towards the member as some of you seemingly want a person to be.”

“When I’m speaking of a member, when asked to, I won’t tear them down. I will speak of what it is that I’ve seen of them & I spoke to what I’ve seen of the Congressman when in STL as he asked me to speak at his private event,” she continued, citing her demeanor when visiting St. Louis in 2024 when Bush was in office. “Maybe y’all’s nosey a—s would like to know that neither candidate has solicited my endorsement & the forms are open on thefirepac.com.” 

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Ultimately, neither Crockett nor Bell has announced any form of formal endorsement. So, that leaves the question, what is this really about? And Colbert, like some users on social media, called out how Bush has been caught in the crosshairs of the discourse, despite some critics claiming to be Bush supporters. 

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“So the strategy of amplifying that endorsement to the maximum extent possible cannot possibly be to aid in Cory Bush’s campaign. So, the alternative is that what it’s really about is it’s about trying to paint Jasmine as inauthentic or as AIPAC adjacent, as a liar. Those are the kind of three tacts that they used that they tried to take against her during her senate campaign, and even though she lost that campaign, even though she’s not on the ballot, that kind of strategy hasn’t dissipated at all,” Colbert told theGrio. “[Crockett] stirs up this resentment that people have, this fear that people have of the power of Black women. So, they do everything they can to undermine her. First, it was let’s undermine her Senate candidacy, and then now it’s let’s undermine her position in the party altogether.” 

“I just think that it’s not a Jasmine-specific thing, it’s a how this country and how people on every side of the spectrum treat Black women in leadership,” she concluded. 

Also reflecting on the polarizing reactions Crockett’s name appears to spark on social media, Dr. Greer believes there’s real credibility to some of Colbert’s reflections. 

“There are some people who have very strong feelings for Jasmine Crockett, and there are others who have very strong feelings against Jasmine Crockett, and so for the latter group, you know, there’s a certain sort of delicious delight that people take in saying, ‘look at this woman, you know, she is exactly who we thought she was,’ right? Untrustworthy and out for self, and the list goes on with the negatives,” the political professor shared. “But where is the fact-based information? There’s just so much rapid misinformation and disinformation online that makes truthful statements, relationships, and facts that much harder to counterbalance.”