(Video: Fox News)
Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, who only days ago squabbled publicly with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene over his vote on a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine, is now squabbling with Fox News host Tucker Carlson over the same matter.
The feud technically started Sunday when Crenshaw told Fox News host Trey Gowdy that anyone who’s arguing that America needs to spend its money and resources on its own problems, such as the baby formula shortage, instead of sending the money overseas is spouting “pro-Russia” talking points.
It wasn’t the first instance of him using such rhetoric. Back in March, he practically accused Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy of repeating “Putin’s talking points.” He doubled down during a podcast discussion in April, equating opposition to the U.S. using up its resources on behalf of Ukraine to a “war on the West.”
Dan Crenshaw rips the ‘new right’, claims populist movement’s rhetoric is ‘very left-wing’ https://t.co/Fiol94DjpV
— American Wire News (@americanwire_) April 28, 2022
Carlson found the latest attack insulting and demeaning, so he fired back in kind during a Monday segment of Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
“Why is Congress so focused on Ukraine but you can’t find baby formula? According to Congressman Dan Crenshaw of Texas, asking questions like that or really any questions at all, thinking you are a citizen, makes you ‘pro-Russia,'” he said.
During a discussion later with former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, he again slammed Crenshaw.
“The more I think about it, it takes a lot of gall for eyepatch McCain to attack moms who’re worried about baby formula as ‘pro-Russia.’ I mean, that’s probably one of the most outrageous things I’ve ever heard. Why not just answer the question? Why the attacks?” he said.
His “eyepatch McCain” remark was a reference both to Crenshaw’s eyepatch, which he wears because he lost his eye while fighting overseas and to the late Sen. John McCain, who’d been a notorious war hark.
Crenshaw responded to Carlson’s attack a day later in a statement to The Daily Caller: “You hurl juvenile insults when you know you’ve lost the debate. I stand by every word I said in my interview with Trey Gowdy,” he said.
He also posted tweets encouraging his critics to watch his full discussion with Gowdy, asserting that he stands by everything he’d said, and arguing that it’s possible to both take care of domestic problems and also fund Ukraine’s war with Russia.
Here’s the full interview with Trey Gowdy, not spliced up for dramatic effect. Watch the full thing. I stand by every word.https://t.co/LYuZ650a8z
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) May 17, 2022
No, this doesn’t mean we don’t care about the border or baby formula. When we retake the House the border will be a number one priority. Unfortunately, Republicans don’t get to set the agenda while Nancy Pelosi is Speaker.
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) May 17, 2022
These are not mutually exclusive issues either, and to treat them as such is to admit we can’t walk and chew gum. But we can. This is America, and we aren’t putting America first when we leave our border open or let Russia and China reshape the global order to their liking.
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) May 17, 2022
Critics fired back by …
One, drawing attention to all the money that America wasted in Afghanistan and Iraq:
If we didn’t blow untold scads of cash on useless foreign wars maybe we’d be in a better position to shape the global order to our liking. Really, we spend 20 years in Afghanistan and the Taliban is back in charge.
— DooDooDiligenz (@DDiligenz) May 18, 2022
Our government spent about 300 million A DAY for 20 YEARS fighting the Taliban, which we lost too, for a total of over 2 TRILLION, and most of it is debt that we’re paying interest on, and you expect us to believe 50 billion will beat the Russians?https://t.co/Nj3YVDQzhO
— Mauricio Torres (@TorresMrpk) May 17, 2022
Two, noting that $40 billion is a lot to spend on another country when “we are in economic and inflationary turmoil”:
$40B is an unprecedented amount of money while we are in economic and inflationary turmoil. We have already given Ukraine billions. Why not pressure the European Union to give more? They have given less than 2% the amount we have.
— Jennifer Appel (@JenAppelVA) May 17, 2022
40 Billion to Ukraine? Regardless of if you’re concerned about baby formula and borders or not…. With our current inflation 40 Billion to Ukraine makes zero sense. Why on earth would you think that’s a good idea 🤷♂️
— boxingandy (@boxingandy) May 17, 2022
And three, pointing out that Ukraine is full of corruption:
I believe it’s good stopping Russia from invading other countries, but to print and send $40 billion to a country known for corruption without some kind of oversight on what that money is used for and who it is going to is crazy. Especially with the inflation we currently have.
— Jonathan Bumelis (@J_man_79) May 18, 2022
#Inexcusable. Terrible argument. U aware of the history of corruption in Ukraine? Whatever the outcome of that war, they’ll be insurgents fighting there for decades. It is not in our interest to continue to fund. Put the money at our border. We have so many problems to fix.
— I’m an O’Biden-Bama ..you know the thing, Fat. (@paddyknuckles) May 18, 2022
Dovetailing back to Carlson’s “eyepatch McCain” remark, it also attracted the attention of McCain’s daughter, Meghan.
In a tweet posted late Monday, she described the Fox News host’s take as “trash.”
Look:
This is just trash.
That being said I’m sure @DanCrenshawTX doesn’t mind the comparison. https://t.co/JpzUZBuC93
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) May 17, 2022
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