Fact Check: Is Jasmine Crockett's sister facing charges for threatening to kill Greg Abbott?

AUSTIN, TEXAS: An allegation has been circulating on social media platforms claiming that Esmerelda Jeanine Crockett, sister of Rep Jasmine Crockett, has been booked for threatening to kill Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The claim sparked concern, criticisms, and speculation, with many questioning the claim’s authenticity, requiring a fact-check.

Claim: Jasmine Crockett's sister threatened to kill Greg Abbott

According to the viral X post, the congresswoman’s sister is one of the 14 charged with threatening Governor Abbott’s life.

The post states that Esmerelda was booked in Houston Superior Court on a warrant issued by the Texas Rangers, while her sister was sitting in the gallery looking on and faces up to four years in prison and a $100,000 fine. 

The claim has been amplified by several accounts on the platform, garnering tens of thousands of views as of this writing. 

The post also drew criticism and speculation from online users, with many questioning the authenticity of the rumor.

Fact Check: No credible evidence to support the claim

The claim, however, is false, as there is no evidence to say that Crockett’s sister is facing charges for threatening to kill the governor.

According to publicly available information, Crockett has two brothers and not sisters. A search for the name ‘Esmerelda Jeanine Crockett’ yielded no results and is a made-up name, likely intended as a meme or a satire.

A Google search for the claim yielded no credible news media reports, which, if true, would have been widely covered given the sensationalism of the claim.

Moreover, the account that posted the claim is not credible and, though not explicitly a parody account, has posted several such exaggerated and clickbait posts.

Jasmine Crockett mocked Greg Abbott's disability

Crockett once stirred a row after she called wheelchair-bound Governor Abbott "Governor Hot Wheels" in March last year.

During a campaign dinner, she said, “Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there. And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot a** mess, honey." 

In a post on X, she addressed the backlash, stating, “I wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition—I was thinking about the planes, trains, and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by Black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable."

Abbott is paralyzed below the waist after a tree fell on him in a tragic accident in 1984 and has spent more than 40 years in a wheelchair.