Jasmine Crockett Challenges Trump to Public IQ Test as “Dark Woke” Strategy Gains Traction
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) made headlines yet again this week, telling Jimmy Kimmel she would “absolutely” take a public IQ test alongside President Donald J. Trump after he branded her a “low IQ individual” and “lowlife” in response to her personal attack on Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
The challenge, which many initially viewed as a comedic moment, is now reverberating through political circles as part of a growing movement within the Democratic Party known as “Dark Woke.”
The Origin of the Feud
The feud began after Crockett referred to Governor Abbott as “Governor Hot Wheels,” a jab at his disability, during a debate on border policy. President Trump responded sharply:
“It’s a lie, and she lies. But she’s a lowlife, and she’s a very low IQ person and a lowlife,” Trump said. “I don’t imagine the Democrats are going to have a person like that running their party. If they do, they’ll never win an election again.”
Crockett, far from backing down, took the insult as an opportunity to double down on national television:
“He called me low IQ,” she said to Kimmel. “Let’s go. Public IQ test. Head to head.”
The moment received thunderous applause from the studio audience, but reaction online has been far more divided.
“Dark Woke”: A New Democrat Strategy
Crockett’s growing notoriety—and her incendiary comments, including her now-viral takedown of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene as having a “bleach blonde bad built butch body”—have placed her at the center of a controversial strategy that Democratic insiders have dubbed “Dark Woke.”
According to The New York Times, the term refers to a shift away from polished, measured discourse in favor of clapbacks, social media firepower, and cultural irreverence. The goal: to challenge Republicans not with policy rebuttals, but with viciously viral rhetoric.
Supporters claim it energizes younger, progressive voters. Critics argue it alienates moderates and fuels perceptions of Democrats as unserious and divisive.
The Risks of Going Viral
Crockett has become a meme machine, with T-shirts quoting her most caustic lines, boosted appearances on late-night television, and viral fame. But political analysts warn that what plays well on TikTok and Twitter may not hold up on the campaign trail in swing districts.
“This isn’t political strength—it’s performance art,” said one former Democratic campaign manager. “You can’t beat Trump by out-trolling him. You beat Trump by winning over independents and working-class voters.”
Republicans, meanwhile, have seized on Crockett’s outbursts as a symbol of Democratic decay—a party more concerned with snark and spectacle than substance.
“This is who they are now,” said Sen. J.D. Vance. “You attack a disabled veteran, brag about it on national television, and call it strategy. It’s disgusting.”
IQ Test Challenge: Political Theater or a Ticking Time Bomb?
While the idea of a televised IQ test between Trump and Crockett is almost certainly never going to happen, the stunt itself reflects a deeper political transformation. Democrats like Crockett are moving away from traditional decorum and embracing a combative populism that mirrors the right-wing media ecosystem—albeit with an urban, progressive twist.
The question for Democrats is whether this “Dark Woke” turn can build a durable coalition—or whether it will prove to be a cultural sugar high that alienates swing voters and hands Trump another term.
Either way, the Crockett-Trump feud shows no signs of cooling off. And in today’s politics, viral heat may be the only metric that matters.
