‘Elaine From Atlantic … She Needs to Leave’

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I was not expecting Representative Jasmine Crockett’s team to call me a “top-notch hater”; kick me out of her rally in Lubbock, Texas; and march me to the side of a county road to wait for a ride. But I was much more surprised by what the congresswoman said later.

A CBS reporter on Wednesday asked Crockett about a report that I had been ejected from her rally and that her campaign had called the Capitol Police on a CNN journalist, alleging that he had trespassed by attempting to visit a campaign office. “It’s silly season,” Crockett said. “There is a specific journalist who is, she has a history of being less than truthful, and frankly there’s no evidence of anything that she’s talking about.” The Democrat from Texas continued to riff: The journalist in question had been previously and successfully sued for defamation, she claimed. “It is sad that there is any news outlet that actually would have her on staff when,” Crockett said, “the one thing that matters most is truth.”

I agree with the congresswoman on the latter half of that statement. So let’s get a few things straight. I’ve never been sued for defamation, let alone successfully. I did write a profile of the representative last year that she didn’t like. Most important, I was thrown out of her rally. There is evidence, because I recorded it.

[Read: Why I got thrown out of a Jasmine Crockett rally ]

But before we get to the audio, let me quickly set the scene. On Monday morning, I showed up early to Crockett’s “Community Conversation” in Lubbock and interviewed a handful of people in line. At the entrance, I showed my Atlantic press credential to a woman wearing a badge, who waved me into the building. Because I was having a bad hair day, and because I am trying to become more of a hat person, I was wearing my favorite Menards baseball cap.

After Crockett finished speaking, I attempted to join a closed-door press scrum with the congresswoman that was open to the other reporters at the rally. But I was turned away, so I walked over to interview people in the crowd. That’s when I heard my name from the same woman with the badge at the entrance—and hit “Record” on my iPhone. She asked me to leave, and armed security guards escorted me from the property.

Here is the unedited transcript of what transpired—you can also listen to the audio for yourself.

Woman: Are you Elaine?

Elaine Godfrey: Yeah.

Woman: Okay, her team has asked you to leave.

Godfrey: Me to leave?

Woman: Can you get your stuff? (Speaking to someone else.) Her team wants her to leave, and they’re asking her to leave.

Godfrey: Why are you asking me to leave?

Woman: 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.’ (Speaking to someone else.) I just told her to get her bag and go [unintelligible] that’s from her team.

Security guard 1 (to Godfrey): Can we get up and leave now?

Godfrey: Sure. That’s crazy. What are they afraid of?

Security guard 1: [Unintelligible.]

Godfrey: You’re doing your job—that’s all right. [Unintelligible.] Thank you.

[Wind blowing]

Godfrey: I have to get an Uber so I’m gonna probably just wait outside for that.

Security guard 1: That’s fine.

Godfrey: I’m going to stand here because I don’t want to stand—

[Multiple security guards talking at once]

Security guard 2: You have to leave the property.

Security guard 1: You can wait outside the gate. That’d be great.

Security guard 3: You gotta get out.

Godfrey: Okay. All right.

After getting picked up by the Uber, I went straight to Lubbock’s famous Prairie Dog Town, where I received a warmer welcome. I called Crockett directly today to ask about all of this. When she answered, and I told her who was calling, she said, “Oh!,” sounding surprised, and hung up. She did not respond to my follow-up texts.