Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), a retired Navy SEAL, fumed Monday that he would “f–king kill” right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson and insisted he was “not joking” in a stunning hot-mic moment.
Crenshaw struggled to conceal his sheer contempt for Carlson, particularly over the conservative commentator’s opposition to US support for war-torn Ukraine, after wrapping up an interview with British outlet GB News.
“Have you ever met Tucker?” GB News’ Steven Edginton asked Crenshaw in the exchange, which the outlet briefly posted on social media.
“We’ve talked a lot on Twitter,” Crenshaw replied, rolling his eyes. “If I ever meet him, I’ll f–king kill him.
“No, seriously, I’ll kill him,” the Lone Star Republican added. “He’s the worst person I’ve ever met.”
A rep for Crenshaw later clarified that it was not a serious statement, replying, “No, of course not” when asked.
Carlson, 55, and Crenshaw, 40, have repeatedly tangled over foreign policy through the years, with the former Fox News host accusing the congressman of being overly hawkish while the Texan has called him a stooge of Russia and a “cowardly, know-nothing elitist.”
Carlson, who now runs his own independent media company featuring lengthy sit-down interviews and commentary, responded to Crenshaw’s caught-on-mic comments by inviting him onto his show.
“Why don’t you come sit for an interview, and we’ll see how you do? I’ll send you my address,” Carlson sniped on X.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) jumped into the spat, asking Crenshaw on X, “Did you threaten to kill my friend @TuckerCarlson?”
“Lol, no,” Crenshaw tweeted back.
During the interview on GB News, Crenshaw had swiped at Carlson’s intelligence and suggested that the pundit shouldn’t be taken “seriously.
“Tucker doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He likes to visit Moscow and talk about how great the grocery stores are — I don’t take his advice seriously,” Crenshaw said.
In the past, Carlson has ripped Crenshaw as the “single-most left-wing” Republican in Congress whom he’s encountered and called him “Eye Patch McCain,” referencing the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who espoused hawkish views on foreign policy.
Crenshaw lost his right eye to an improvised explosive device during a 2012 military deployment in Afghanistan. The explosion also badly damaged his left eye, which has since required multiple surgeries.
Crenshaw hit back against some of Carlson’s attacks on X last year.
“Tucker’s MO is simple: defend America’s enemies and attack America’s allies. There isn’t an objective bone left in that washed up news host’s body,” the rep wrote. “A cowardly, know-nothing elitist who is full of sh—.”
GovTrack ranks Crenshaw among the more conservative members of the House Republican conference. He is a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Crenshaw sits on the House Intelligence Committee and hasn’t been shy about criticizing his party on foreign policy.
