NBC anchor Chuck Todd battled Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) Sunday on “Meet the Press” over the “liberal” media challenging Republicans for backing up former President Donald Trump.
On Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-WY) ouster from leadership, Crenshaw said, “In reality, we need to talk about the things that American people care about. I’ve got to tell you, this is not the subject I’m asked about. I’m always doing events and meeting with people. I never get asked about this. I get asked, why is there a rise in inflation, why is there a border crisis, why can’t we get gas, why can’t I hire people, why are people getting paid by the government to stay at home instead of coming to work? These are things that affect people, not this internal drama. One of the reasons I agreed to come on your show is to basically say that. This isn’t that important to people.”
Todd said, “But why should anybody believe a word you say if the Republican Party itself doesn’t have credibility?”
He added, “There’s not a disagreement about the facts. So do any of your critiques come across as credible if you can’t accept the fundamental fact that our democracy held a free and fair election?”
On the Texas 2020 election lawsuit the congressman co-signed, Crenshaw said, “You guys in the press painted that as some extreme action. Of course, it wasn’t. That amicus brief was a simple question of the Supreme Court in saying, can you please speak to this question of whether process changes in the election last minute, not approved by the legislature, can be deemed constitutional? It was a question. They didn’t want to answer that question. I said it’s unconstitutional for us to overturn the election in Congress. I voted to certify.”
Todd said, “This is the issue many people have. You’re sitting here trying to say, ‘No, no, no, I just had a specific question.’ Yet, what you did gets weaponized by the former president.”
He added, “I understand you guys want to put this behind you, but he is the leader of your party and he doesn’t stop talking about this nonsense.”
Crenshaw replied, “He’s one of many leaders in the party. He’s a former president. We’re five months into President Biden’s presidency. There is a time to move on. You guys in the press love doing this, and I get it, right, that the press is largely liberal. They are largely pro-Democrats.”
Todd shot back, “No, no, no. Don’t start that. There’s nothing lazier than that excuse!”
Crenshaw said, “I’m not going to take the bait here.”
Todd said, “Why do we have a political party basically rallying around this bizarre lie and mythology.”
Crenshaw said, “I already debunked the notion that there’s no space in the party for that. Remember, Liz won that first election—won that first leadership vote.”
Todd said, “She’s not there now.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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