Republican Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw kept his cool when a group of activists ambushed him, accusing him of enabling President Donald Trump while recording his response.
Common Defense, a group of anti-Trump veterans, shared the video Thursday on Twitter.
WATCH:
GOP Rep @DanCrenshawTX hid in an elevator today when combat vets confronted him about his support for Donald Trump.
We’re standing up for our democracy and holding Trump’s cronies accountable. Join us: https://t.co/1pTmoYMH1d pic.twitter.com/5VKiPN8mpa
— Common Defense (@commondefense) September 20, 2019
Despite a series of verbal attacks accusing him of “sitting idly by,” neglecting what they said was his “duty” (to oppose Trump) and being “complicit in this man’s crimes,” Crenshaw maintained his calm demeanor and kept walking.
Crenshaw could be heard offering several responses throughout, saying, “I know you’re here to make a video,” and, “you need to calm down.”
Crenshaw finally stepped onto a “members only” elevator, saying, “You got to make your video. You didn’t come here to have a conversation. As veterans, we need to be smarter about how we talk about things.”
The activist in the video argued that he did want to have a conversation, to which Crenshaw replied, “You repeating things is not a conversation.”
Crenshaw finally walked away, as the activists yelled after him, “You’re going to let a criminal hijack our democracy!”
Newsweek covered the interaction, suggesting in the headline that Crenshaw was trying to “hide in an elevator” to escape the activists.
GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw tries to hide in elevator while confronted by combat veterans over his support for Trump: “Do your duty” https://t.co/Imes8LQ583
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) September 20, 2019
Author Raheem Kassam, who admitted that he was not Crenshaw’s biggest fan, was quick to call out Newsweek for running with that angle.
Total lie from Newsweek and I’m not even a big @DanCrenshawTX fan.
The man accosting him is clearly just trying to make a “viral video”. He’s not trying to “talk”.
Crenshaw also isn’t “hiding” he’s trying to go somewhere and he’s being harrassed: https://t.co/8BsAm9orDG
— Raheem Kassam (@RaheemKassam) September 20, 2019
Army ranger veteran and author Sean Parnell caught the video on Twitter and said that if the same group had approached him, they might have gotten the viral moment they were after. ” I guess it’s a good thing I’m not in Congress.
Props to @RepDanCrenshaw for keeping his cool,” he added.
If I were in Congress & these 3 spindly losers bowed up on me,
they would have gotten the viral video they wanted. I guess it’s a good thing I’m not in Congress.
Props to @RepDanCrenshaw for keeping his cool. https://t.co/o1fyHkbv0M— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) September 20, 2019
Retired Colonel Kurt Schlicter fired back as well, calling the activists “clowns” and worse in a tweet, saying, “Everybody who was in the service knows these clowns. There’s a couple in every unit. When there’s work to be done they’re gone. They always know better than those guys who outrank them. And they always have an excuse.” (RELATED: Feminist Author Wants Rape Survivors To Ambush Jeff Flake ‘For The Rest Of His Life’)
Falcon Status: Blue
I keep saying it… Everybody who was in the service knows these clowns. There’s a couple in every unit. When there’s work to be done they’re gone. They always know better than those guys who outrank them. And they always have an excuse. https://t.co/K0eGlFl0rB
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) September 20, 2019
Gotta appreciate a Republican who doesn’t turn into a puddle of urine when accosted in an elevator by a belligerent Leftwing activist. Bravo to @DanCrenshawTX https://t.co/X3E7eMXu1i
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) September 20, 2019