Outgoing Texas Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw told CBS News’ Margaret Brennan on Sunday that his significant loss in the March 3 Republican primary was largely due to “online misinformation.”
Crumbling under the weight of the challenge, Crenshaw was narrowly defeated by fellow Republican Steve Toth, who campaigned to his right. This surprising upset, with a 15-point margin, caught many off guard, especially since Crenshaw was widely viewed as the favorite leading up to the election. Brennan pressed Crenshaw for insight in the immediate aftermath, questioning what other Republicans could learn from his experience. He attributed his defeat to a culture of disinformation and pondered, “What does that mean?”
“Well, I mean,” Crenshaw started, pausing with a short laugh, “I’m a unique Republican.”
He elaborated, saying, “I’ve been a target of online slander and conspiracy theories for a while, and this election was basically shaped by that.” He noted that around 20% of Republican voters diligently cast their ballots in the primaries, yet many were misled by various smears online, including allegations of insider trading. “No matter how many times we thought we debunked it, it seems these beliefs linger,” he added.
Crenshaw later suggested that Democrats also played a role in spreading these misinformation claims against him. He stated, “At the end of the day, this boils down to whether people believe what they read online or see in their mail.” He pointed out that Democrats invested nearly $1 million in promoting these negative narratives on television, leading Republican voters to base their opinions on slanderous headlines crafted by liberal media.
In prior election cycles, Democrats have often allocated funds towards ads designed to sway the Republican primary in favor of weaker candidates for the general election. However, Crenshaw’s district is considered a Republican stronghold, and he asserted that the recent district boundaries indicate he would support Donald Trump by a 23-point margin in the 2024 election.
“This serves as a lesson, not just for Republican politicians, but for Republican voters as well,” he concluded. Following Crenshaw’s remarks, Brennan reiterated the word “misinformation” as she wrapped up the segment.
Notably, Crenshaw was the only one of 19 incumbent House Republicans from Texas who did not receive an endorsement from President Trump before the primary. However, Trump has yet to endorse Toth, even after his surprising win nearly two weeks ago. Curiously, Texas Senator Ted Cruz had previously made comments in support of Toth during the primary season.
Toth later mentioned an interview with Tucker Carlson, in which they criticized Crenshaw for not aligning with the America First movement and his perceived leniency on illegal immigration, as well as for Crenshaw’s hawkish stance on Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Their conversation has accumulated over 700,000 views on YouTube since it was released.
In another video from February 2025, Crenshaw was recorded telling Carlson that if they met face-to-face, he would “fucking kill him,” elaborating that Carlson is the “worst person” he has encountered.
In a follow-up interview with Toth months later, Carlson expressed empathy for Crenshaw, stating, “I don’t think he’s the worst person in the world, but he clearly has some issues.”
