Crenshaw lost his right eye in 2012 during his third deployment when he was hit by anIED explosion in Afghanistan'sHelmand Province. The blast destroyed his eye, and he required surgery to save the vision in his left eye.[15] He remained in the Navy for four years after the injury, and served his fourth and fifth tours of duty inBahrain and South Korea.[15][19]
Crenshaw won the runoff to advance to the November general election.[32][33] On November 6, he defeated Democratic nomineeTodd Litton, 52.8% to 45.6%.[34][35] After the election, Crenshaw called for the depoliticization of comedy and sports and expressed a desire that political rhetoric be toned down.[36]
On the November 3 episode ofSaturday Night Live, comedianPete Davidson joked about the appearances of multiple candidates in the 2018 midterm elections and described Crenshaw as looking like a "hit man in a porno movie" while adding that he lost his eye in "war or whatever". The joke received widespread criticism[37][38] and on the following episode, Davidson and Crenshaw appeared on air together. Davidson offered an apology, which Crenshaw accepted. Crenshaw also used the segment to advocate forveterans' issues.[6][39] Crenshaw and others have speculated that the joke may have helped him win,[40][41] as well as aided later fundraising.[42] Two years later, Davidson rescinded his apology, saying he had been "forced to apologize", adding that "I didn't think I did anything wrong." In response, Crenshaw called it "a little sad" that Davidson "can't stop thinking" about him.[43]
Crenshaw was reelected in 2020, defeating Democratic nominee Sima Ladjevardian from Houston, Texas[44] with 55.6% of the vote to Ladjevardian's 42.8%.[45] During the campaign, he spent over $11 million through October 16, 2020, making it one of the most expensive Congressional races in the country.[42]
The Inspector General of theDepartment of Veterans Affairs implicated Crenshaw and V.A. SecretaryRobert Wilkie in a 2020 report as having engaged in a campaign of disparagement toward a female veteran who reported sexual assault to the Navy. Crenshaw said, "The Democrats created this narrative".[50][51]
Crenshaw is publicly critical of theFreedom Caucus, whom he regards as divisive "performance artists" for constantly attacking moderate Republicans.[53]
In February 2025, ahot mic captured Crenshaw stating that he wanted to "fucking kill" conservative commentatorTucker Carlson.[54] Carlson and Crenshaw have previously feuded; Carlson has dubbed Crenshaw "EyepatchMcCain" and one of the "dumbest" Republicans, while Crenshaw has called Carlson a "cowardly, know-nothing elitist".[55] Crenshaw's comment sparked backlash from other conservatives, including Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greene andElon Musk.[56] Carlson responded "Why don’t you come sit for an interview and we’ll see how you do? I’ll send you my address."[54]
Crenshaw opposesgun control measures.[66][67] In response to the shootings inDayton andEl Paso, after an initial comment to possibly explorered flag laws as a possible solution to gun violence,[68] Crenshaw argued that such laws should be discussed at state level rather than nationally, saying, "What you're essentially trying to do with a red flag law is enforce the law before the law has been broken, and that's a really difficult thing to do" and "if there's such a threat that they're threatening somebody with a weapon already, then they've already broken the law, so why do you need this other law?"[69] after the 2022Robb Elementary School shooting. In January 2025 Crenshaw introduced the "Preventing Unjust Red Flag Laws Act," which stops federal money being given to states which have red flag laws. This bill is presently with the House Judiciary Committee. Crenshaw has also said that raising the legal age to purchase a firearm to 21 is ineffective but supports expanding background checks to include juvenile criminal history.[70]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Crenshaw said that Democrats and the media were exaggerating the threat.[74] He was a high-profile defender of Trump's response to the pandemic. He did not wear face masks consistently in settings advised by health experts and mandated by GovernorGreg Abbott.[75][76]
Crenshaw argued thatFDA regulations impeded the development of COVID-19 tests.[77][78]
Healthcare
Crenshaw favors repealing theAffordable Care Act (Obamacare), describing it as an "unmitigated disaster".[79] During his 2018 campaign, he advocated allowingMedicare to negotiate drug prices, becoming one of a handful of Republicans to endorse what was primarily aprogressive idea.[80] By 2019, however, Crenshaw had retreated from this position.[80]
Crenshaw has introduced legislation to fund research into the use ofpsychedelic therapy as a treatment option for military members suffering fromPTSD and traumatic brain injuries.[84]
The Crenshaw Amendment, was a legislative provision introduced by Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas, which took the same approach as the Hyde Amendment, but with gender transition procedures.[85][86] Dubbed "the new Hyde Amendment" by Crenshaw,[87] it would have prohibited the use of Federal funds inMedicaid, theChildren's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and theAffordable Care Act from paying "for specified gender transition procedures" for both children and adults alike. The provision would have defined these procedures to mean "those that are intended to change the body of an individual to no longer correspond to the individual's biological sex (male or female), including specified surgeries, implants, and medications (e.g., hormones)," and exclude "procedures that are provided to an individual under the age of 18 with the consent of a parent or legal guardian and that are intended to (1) rectify early puberty, genetic disorders, or chromosomal abnormalities; (2) reverse prior gender transition procedures; or (3) prevent imminent death or impairment of a major bodily function."[88] This legislation was included in theOne Big Beautiful Bill Act as passed by the House of Representatives on May 22, 2025.[89][90] On June 26, 2025, theSenate Parliamentarian ruled that the amendment violated theByrd Rule, meaning that it would need to get 60 votes in the Senate in order to remain in the bill. Instead of bringing it up for a vote, Senate Republicans chose to remove the Crenshaw Amendment from the final bill entirely, shortly before voting to pass the final bill.[91] If it had passed, this amendment would have taken effect in 2027.[92][93] In the aftermath of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Trump Administration took administrative action to prevent Medicaid from paying "for specified sex trait modification" for children in Medicaid starting in 2026.[94][95]
Donald Trump
Crenshaw with PresidentDonald Trump in December 2019
According toPolitico, Crenshaw "voted with Donald Trump most of the time but isn't a loyalist. He's a stalwart conservative willing to criticize other conservatives."[96]
Although Crenshaw had criticized some of Trump's statements in a 2015Facebook post, he became a "staunch defender" of Trump after the 2016 election.[97][98] He voted against both articles of impeachment theHouse of Representatives brought against Trump in 2019.[99]
In 2020, Crenshaw defended the Trump administration's response to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[100][101] In a video Trump retweeted, Crenshaw rebutted criticisms that the Trump administration had been slow in responding to the virus.[100]
Crenshaw criticized the2021 U.S. Capitol attack perpetrated by Trump supporters, and said that Trump should have ordered the rioters to stop. During the siege, he urged the protesters to "Stop this bullshit right now" onTwitter.[106][107] Crenshaw condemned the rioting and some of his fellow congressional Representatives for "saying constantly this is our time to fight."[108] While not naming any politicians, Crenshaw stated they were "lying to millions" and scattered when there was an actual threat to the Capitol. He deemed efforts to fight theElectoral College vote certification unconstitutional, and voted against the objections to the electoral vote in both Arizona and Pennsylvania, but defended SenatorsTed Cruz andJosh Hawley against allegations that they stoked the riot.[109][110][111] Crenshaw voted against theTrump impeachment on January 13, 2021.[112] In a statement, Crenshaw said that while Trump's words had encouraged "unconstitutional theories that risk the stability of our nation", he had voted against the second impeachment because he felt Democrats had "rushed" the process and that impeaching a president who only had seven days left in office would serve little purpose and inflame further tensions.[113]
AfterLiz Cheney was censured for voting to impeach Trump, Crenshaw asserted in an interview that the Republican Party needed "to move on" from claims the 2020 election was stolen, but also accused the media of continuing to weaponize the issue, arguing both were ignoring larger issues such as the economy, the COVID pandemic and illegal immigration. He also said, "I do not think Trump is the devil, and I won't say that; I don't think he's Jesus either."[114] Crenshaw also supported RepresentativeAdam Kinzinger, who sat on theJanuary 6 select committee and is publicly critical of Trump, and criticized far-right members of theFreedom Caucus as "performance artists" and "grifters".[53]
In 2022, on his podcastHold These Truths, Crenshaw criticized Republicans who contested the results of the 2020 presidential election, saying of their efforts, "It was always a lie. The whole thing was always a lie. And it was a lie meant to rile people up".[115]
Election reform
In 2019, Crenshaw voiced opposition to theFor the People Act of 2019, saying it would "limit free speech drastically". He also said the bill would use taxpayer money to "legalize" the kind of electoral fraud that he alleges occurred on the Republican side in the2018 election for North Carolina's District 9.[116]PolitiFact rated Crenshaw's assertion about the North Carolina race "false", adding, "nothing in the bill that expands who can collect absentee ballots, allows people to fill out ballots for others, or loosens witnessing procedures for absentee ballots", as happened in that election.[116][117] Crenshaw argued that the bill did not include a federal ban on ballot harvesting, and supported theAmerican Civil Liberties Union's opposition to it over new campaign contribution revisions.[116]
Environment
Crenshaw speaking at an environmental event in June 2022
During Crenshaw's 2018 campaign, his website made brief mention ofglobal warming, applauding Trump for withdrawing from theParis Climate Accords.[118] Crenshaw called the agreement "costly and meaningless",virtue signaling, and bad policy.[118] He also said, "We must use our money to develop better infrastructure."[118] In 2018, Crenshaw called for a debate on the causes ofclimate change, adding, "We can't start off the conversation saying the climate is settled. The right way to have this conversation is to actually listen to what the science says on both sides."[119]
In 2019, Crenshaw said, "climate change is occurring and that man-made emissions play a part in that. What isn't clear is how our actions will serve to reverse that warming trend, and what the cost-benefit outcome would be. Regardless, we should continue pursuing newgreen energy solutions that lessen our impact on the environment and create cleaner air and water."[119] In 2020, he criticizedsolar andwind energy as "silly solutions" that "don't work," and instead advocated expandingnuclear energy andcarbon capture technology.[120]
In 2016, Crenshaw harshly criticized then-candidate Trump's "insane rhetoric" toward Muslims and "hateful" speech.[122] During Crenshaw's 2018 campaign, he defended Trump's proposal tobuild a border wall on theMexico–United States border.[66] In a May 2019 appearance onThe View, he claimed that 80%–90% of asylum seeker requests "don't have a valid asylum claim"; news outlet PolitiFact called the claim "false", writing that although only 20% to 30% of asylum claims are granted, "experts said there are many reasons why cases might be closed or requests might be denied, regardless of the merits of a claim."[123] In 2021, Crenshaw accused the Biden administration of provoking a crisis on the southern border by having a moratorium on deportations and reversing Trump's policies on asylum and illegal immigration.[124] He has also argued thatMexican drug cartels have fueled illegal immigration by taking advantage of the U.S. asylum process to smuggle people into the country.[125]
Crenshaw supports enforcing physical barriers and implementing technology at the southern border to prevent illegal immigration. He has also expressed a belief that people who try to enter the U.S. illegally "aren't bad people" but "they are breaking the law, and they're contributing to an unsustainable system" and are "cutting in front of the line of all the legal immigrants."[126]
Crenshaw voted for the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, which authorizes DHS to nearly double the available H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020.[127][128] He also voted for the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 1158), which effectively prohibits ICE from cooperating with Health and Human Services to detain or remove illegal alien sponsors of unaccompanied alien children (UACs).[129]
Social issues
Despite having previously expressing support for the legalization ofsame-sex marriage,[130][131] Crenshaw voted against theRespect for Marriage Act, even after amendments allowing religious exemptions. Calling same-sex marriage a "tough issue",[132] Crenshaw believes that government should not be involved in regulating marriage. In 2015, he took issue with people trying to suggest Christianity is as shocking and as violent as Islam, saying, "the worst thing modern Christianity stands for is anti-homosexual marriage, which is a far cry from sex slaves,sharia law and beheadings."[133][134]
In the case of a 7-year-oldtransgender child who was the subject of a custody battle between a supportive mother and an unsupportive father, Crenshaw opined in favor of the father. The child, who had identified as a girl from the age of 3 years old, was seeking agender transition. Following a judge's decision to grant custody to the mother, Crenshaw called the outcome "heart-breaking" and added, "[a] 7-year-old can't possibly make this decision or understand it. Parents should know better. I hope this father receives the public support he needs."[135]
Crenshaw supports cooperation with and support for Israel.[7][139] During some of his public appearances, he has been targeted by anti-semitic white nationalists, known asGroypers, for his pro-Israel views.[140][141] He voted to provide Israel with support following the2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[142][143]
In 2019, Crenshaw co-sponsored a resolution opposing Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, saying that it would embolden the Turkish military'sassault on the Kurdish forces.[144] He supported Trump's decision to kill Iranian major generalQasem Soleimani.[145][146]
In April 2020, Crenshaw and SenatorTom Cotton introduced a bill that would allow civil suits against foreign states in incidents related to injury or death. The legislation came in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and calls for theChinese government to be held accountable for "allow[ing] this virus to spread".[147]
Crenshaw married Tara Blake in 2013.[6] He is aMethodist[156] and hostsHold These Truths, apodcast he launched in February 2020.[157] They have one daughter, Susan Crenshaw, born on September 12, 2023, named after his late mother.[158][159][160]
In April 2021, Crenshaw suffered adetached retina in his functional left eye, undergoing emergency surgery. As he recovered, he expected to be virtually blind for about a month. He said, "I don't have a 'good eye,' but half a good eye."[161]
Recognition
In 2020,Fortune magazine included Crenshaw in its40 Under 40 in the "Government and Politics" category, writing that he "wears his service to his country on his face."[162]
Works
Dan Crenshaw (2020).Fortitude: American Resilience in the Era of Outrage. New York: Twelve.ISBN978-1-5387-3330-1.[7] The National Republican Congressional Committee purchased nearly $400,000 worth of copies of the book.[163]
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