Congressman Keith Self Blasts Jasmine Crockett, Defends Governor Abbott

Congressman Keith Self is blasting Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett for cracking a joke about Texas Governor Greg Abbott's disability ... though he refused to condemn President Donald Trump for doing something similar.

The Republican representative from Texas stopped by "TMZ Live" Wednesday to discuss Crockett's recent comments ... specifically one where she called Abbott "Governor Hot Wheels" -- and, Self calls Texas Representative Crockett a bully.

Self says he almost wants Congress to avoid censuring Crockett, 'cause he thinks she's bad for the Democratic Party ... and, he'd happily watch her take it down from within.

Self adds there is a big difference between self-deprecation and brutally taking down someone else ... so, Abbott can make jokes about his own paralysis -- but, Crockett can't.

At this point, Self was shown a viral video from Trump back in 2015 -- when he mocked New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski, who suffers from a congenital joint condition, on the campaign trail.

Listen to Self's reaction ... he repeatedly says he won't talk about the past clip -- adding he was only prepared to discuss Crockett's comments from last weekend, not Trump's. A bit of a double standard, we gotta admit.

Worth noting ... Crockett released a statement on social media to explain her nickname for Abbott -- claiming, "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.

"Literally, the next line I said was that he was a 'Hot A** Mess,' referencing his terrible policies. At no point did I mention or allude to his condition." She has repeatedly refused to apologize for the comment.