Dan Crenshaw: 20 Republican holdouts can't articulate what they want
Texas Rep.-elect Dan Crenshaw slams No-McCarthy group for reportedly fundraising off opposition to speakership.
Rep.-elect Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican backing Rep.-elect Kevin McCarthy for House speaker, argued McCarthy's opponents "don't have a plan" for electing an alternative candidate for the gavel and ripped the holdouts for fundraising off the debacle.
Crenshaw told "Your World" on Thursday he and others have run out of patience with the approximately 20 holdouts, saying that while democracy is "messy," lawmakers should express disagreements in good faith.
He underlined, however, that while some of the 20 are indeed negotiating in good faith, others are simply engaging in personality politics against someone in McCarthy, whom they don't like.
"When you ask this to these 20 holdouts, what are you holding the line for, they give you a very vague statement. They say, 'Well, you know, it's to make this place work better. We're tired of the swamp. We're tired of the status quo'," he said.
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Rep.-elect Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
"It's like they're on the campaign trail just screaming slogans that their consultants told them to say. Meanwhile, they're fundraising off of this."
Crenshaw warned viewers not to engage with lawmakers who are soliciting donations through their opposition to McCarthy, calling the alleged behavior "immoral."
With McCarthy's supporters and critics meeting behind closed doors over the past few days, Crenshaw said concessions demanded by critics have indeed been promised by the McCarthy camp.
However, despite the concessions, Crenshaw claimed some of the no-McCarthy lawmakers are still voting against him.
"What's increasingly frustrating is some people have said some of the holdouts who said, well, this is the one thing we want, and then they get it – and they're like the dog that caught the bone. They don't know what to do," he said.
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Rep-elect Hakeem S. Jeffries, D-N.Y. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Crenshaw also noted the detractors have often changed who they've nominated or voted for as a McCarthy alternative.
While Rep.-elect Jim Jordan of Ohio – who himself supports McCarthy – was an early nominee by the detractors, Rep.-elect Byron Donalds of Florida was a favorite later on.
In the most recent tally, Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., nominated a third lawmaker, Rep-elect Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, for the speakership.
Donalds received the majority of non-McCarthy votes, while Hern scored a smaller handful. Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., again voted "present," and the entire Democratic caucus remained united behind Rep.-elect Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
While some members of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus have been united in opposing McCarthy, Caucus Member Troy Nehls of Texas notably cited his membership in the caucus while putting forth McCarthy's name for nomination in the 9th round of votes.
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Rep.-elect Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, speaks to media on Capitol Hill (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Crenshaw noted that the non-McCarthy group didn't stick behind Jordan's name for long, claiming that showed they "don't actually want anything" in a way that itself should "frustrate the American people."
"People should realize there's no nobility in these actions. There's no end game. There's no good that comes of this. You're not showing anyone up. It's completely ridiculous at this point," he said.
Crenshaw added that he believes Donalds, a popular second-term lawmaker from Naples, Florida, is "not a credible candidate," saying he "started [running for Speaker] five minutes ago."
"[Donalds] didn't raise hundreds of millions of dollars to win the Republican majority in multiple election cycles. No," he said.
"I would have a very different opinion on how this is going if one of [the alternatives] had been running for the last year, raising money, getting members elected, trying to win the majority; openly running against Kevin McCarthy," Crenshaw added.
"But that's not what happened. They pull all this stuff out at the 11th hour. They keep picking different candidates that they're going to support."
Following Crenshaw's remarks, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., conversely told "Your World" McCarthy should "withdraw" his nomination for the speakership, characterizing him as a creature of the Washington, D.C. "swamp."
Good said Jordan, Hern, or Rep-elect Mike Johnson, R-La., would make better alternatives.