EDITORIAL: The outrage against Dan Crenshaw is preposterous and manufactured

There is simply no substance to the criticisms of Crenshaw, so critics have resorted to complaining about Dan having a toast in Mexico.

The Washington Reporter editorial team has been around the block. We’ve seen real scandals, like when the Biden White House tried to cover up the president’s mental decline. And we’ve seen jokes, like the idea that President Donald Trump was trying to sabotage the post office (remember that hysteria in 2020?).

The latest “scandal” involving Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R., Texas) may be the most ridiculous manufactured story yet. Crenshaw took a trip to Mexico the other week during which he raised his glass after a Mexican official made an allegedly problematic toast — which Punchbowl News has portrayed as some sort of political crime. While there is supposedly a “CIA cable” discussing Crenshaw’s toast, there are no sources on the record, except for a statement from Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) — defending Crenshaw. You can’t make this up.

Crenshaw is one of the members doing effective work on cartel policy. He chairs working groups, pushes hearings, and has been out front, sometimes on his own, on stopping the fentanyl flow and treating the cartels like the national security threat they are. He is also a strong messenger for conservatives, which is part of why these attacks feel so obviously contrived.

Instead of highlighting any of that, Punchbowl decided the real issue was…toasting a toast.

Anyone who has been around Republican politics for more than a day knows what is happening here. Someone leaked against Crenshaw because of a policy disagreement. Not because they got on the fainting couch over Dan having a drink in Mexico.

Crenshaw votes with President Donald Trump virtually 100 percent of the time. He is a reliable team player for Republicans, steady when others chase attention, and one of the members who actually delivers when it comes to national security threats. That is precisely why these hit jobs land with such a thud. There is simply no substance, so critics have resorted to complaining about Dan having a toast in Mexico.

Republicans — and all Americans — deserve better than this fake outrage.