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Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw Ridicules ‘Narcissists’ Who Oppose McCarthy For Speaker

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Nicole Silverio Media Reporter
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Republican Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw ridiculed “narcissists” who oppose Kevin McCarthy assuming the role of Speaker of the House in a statement Tuesday.

Crenshaw criticized the handful of House Republicans who have openly disputed Speaker-designate McCarthy ahead of Tuesday’s vote. As of Monday, five Republicans were opposed to voting in favor of the House Minority Leader and put forth alternative challengers on the ballot.

“This handful of members is very clearly looking for notoriety over principle.” Crenshaw told CNN. “That’s where it is, and anyone who suggests differently is in some kind of make-believe fantasy reality. It’s not true.”

“They lost those debates,” he continued. “That should have been the end of it, because that’s how a team works, right? You hash this stuff out, you figure it out, and then you move on. But if you’re a narcissist … and you believe that your opinion is so much more important than everyone else’s, then you’ll keep going. And you’ll threaten to tear down the team fort for the benefit of the Democrats, just because of your own sense of self-importance. That’s exactly what’s happening.”

Crenshaw said the House Republicans will not consider any other alternatives besides McCarthy. McCarthy received the GOP nomination for Speaker in a 188-31 vote in November. (RELATED: ‘Give Me A Name’: Fox News Anchor Presses GOP Rep On Who Should Step Up As House Speaker)

“We will not vote for anyone else but [Kevin] McCarthy … they are our enemies now,” Crenshaw continued. “They have made it clear that they prefer a Democrat agenda than a Republican one.”

Republican Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs unsuccessfully challenged McCarthy for the nomination in November and received the support of 31 of his Republican colleagues. He will once again challenge the Speaker-designate on the first ballot Tuesday.

“Even after the McCarthy Machine’s attempts to whip votes and smear my name for several weeks, McCarthy is still well short of the 218 threshold,” Biggs told the Daily Caller. “Our party still requires new leadership and I will continue to oppose McCarthy on Jan. 3.”

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who opposes McCarthy, told a crowd in July 2021 that he would nominate former President Donald Trump for speaker if his party took back the House. Trump endorsed McCarthy for Speaker on Dec. 17.

McCarthy needs 218 votes to be handed the gavel, which will likely lead representatives to vote on several ballots. If a challenger does not receive the minimum number of votes on the first ballot, a second one will be cast — an unprecedented measure that has not occurred since 1923.