Tipsheet

Crenshaw: Dealing With GOP Holdouts Is Like Playing With 'Children' Who Are Acting Like 'Terrorists'

Guy Benson
Guy Benson  |  January 05, 2023 8:45 AM

For a sense of how acrimonious and personal things have gotten among House Republicans as the multi-round Speaker vote saga dragged on, look no further than comments from Texas GOP Congressman Dan Crenshaw.  In a blistering series of comments on my Fox News Radio program, Crenshaw absolutely unloaded on the 20-or-so holdouts who are blocking Kevin McCarthy from becoming Speaker of the House -- and therefore forestalling any House business on literally anything else, including getting members sworn in.  He said the members of the so-called McCarthy Mutiny have no actual plan or endgame and are not operating in good faith.  He said discussing their position with them is like dealing "with children," and said they're operating like "terrorists."  Listen to the full interview (which was briefly interrupted when he went to the floor to vote, before returning) right here:

One short clip:


I asked him about using the term terrorists in this context, and this was his response:

It is obviously, obviously a figure of speech, but it's you know, it is what it is. I mean, you're holding a gun to our head. What do you want? You know, and I don't want to hear - I've already been attacked by them because I've used harsh language and I'm like, 'you started this fight. If you don't want to get into the Octagon and get punched in the face and don't get into the Octagon.'  That's how I feel about it. I mean, this is because there's no good faith here. The good faith has been lost. They keep talking about good faith. And they want to play victim. No. No. So I'm not going to apologize for harsh language. You guys know me. That's how I am. I speak boldly. You know...this is terrorism tactics. It is what it is.I'm not the first one to use that term, by the way. You know, it's this is getting out of control.

Crenshaw also singled out a few of the members for specific criticism, including Virginia's Bob Good (a 'loser" and "absolute dud") and Colorado's Lauren Boebert (whom he said would have lost her Republican-heavy district without McCarthy's financial help, and whom he said just told former President Donald Trump to "F-off" by ignoring his pleas for Republicans to rally around McCarthy).  It is true that Trump going all-in for McCarthy achieved nothing over the subsequent votes:  


Agree or disagree, Crenshaw came loaded for bear, and teed off with very little filter, underscoring the high internecine tensions raging among lower chamber Republicans.  As the beat goes on, I have very little to add to my Wednesday morning commentary on all of this:

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Last night, House Republicans notched their first "win" of the new Congress, with zero votes to spare:

There is talk of some progress behind the scenes, perhaps aided by this breakthrough agreement between two prominent center-right organizations who play heavily in House races.  We'll see.  The chamber reconvenes at noon.