On Sunday, after a deadly shooting in Portland, Oregon, in which an apparent Trump supporter was shot to death, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden issued the following statement on Twitter: “The deadly violence we saw overnight in Portland is unacceptable. Shooting in the streets of a great American city is unacceptable. I condemn violence of every kind by anyone, whether on the left or the right. And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same.”
The deadly violence we saw overnight in Portland is unacceptable. Shooting in the streets of a great American city is unacceptable.
I condemn violence of every kind by anyone, whether on the left or the right. And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same. https://t.co/JRuI7ya2Wv
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 30, 2020
Violent protests have plagued the city of Portland for roughly three months.
Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), who lost an eye due to an IED blast while serving in Afghanistan, fired back at Biden, “Too little too late. The left wing militants have been at war in America’s cities for MONTHS and you’re only commenting now because the polling told you to.”
Too little too late. The left wing militants have been at war in America’s cities for MONTHS and you’re only commenting now because the polling told you to. https://t.co/LifIyQ3gZQ
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) August 30, 2020
On Saturday, Axios noted, “In a Marquette Law School poll of registered voters in battleground Wisconsin, support for Black Lives Matters protests dropped 13 points from June to August, just ahead of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha.”
On August 26, The Federalist pointed out, “CNN anchors Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo spoke out about the violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin Tuesday, providing a stark contrast in CNN’s previous coverage and analysis of the sustained riots in cities around the nation. Lemon and Cuomo cited polling as the main reason why rioting should now be acknowledged as something more than ‘peaceful protests.’ ‘It’s showing up in the polling. It’s showing up in focus groups. It is the only thing right now that is sticking,’ Lemon explained.”
This is not the first time Crenshaw has laid into Biden.
In March, Biden ripped President Trump on Twitter for banning travel to the United States, as well as for his actions to build a wall on the southern border, tweeting, “A wall will not stop the coronavirus. Banning all travel from Europe — or any other part of the world — will not stop it. This disease could impact every nation and any person on the planet — and we need a plan to combat it.”
A wall will not stop the coronavirus.
Banning all travel from Europe — or any other part of the world — will not stop it.
This disease could impact every nation and any person on the planet — and we need a plan to combat it.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) March 13, 2020
That fired up Crenshaw, who fired back a tweet demolishing Biden’s argument. Crenshaw wrote, “First, walls quite literally stop a virus. It’s kind of the whole point of a quarantine, for instance. Second, assuming you meant this metaphorically, health experts like Dr. Fauci and everyone else agree travel restrictions have vastly slowed the spread of the virus in the US.”
First, walls quite literally stop a virus. It’s kind of the whole point of a quarantine, for instance.
Second, assuming you meant this metaphorically, health experts like Dr. Fauci and everyone else agree travel restrictions have vastly slowed the spread of the virus in the US. https://t.co/4osiZ47t7D
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) March 13, 2020
Crenshaw has not been shy about confronting members of the Obama administration.
In early April, Valerie Jarrett, the senior advisor to former President Barack Obama who was credited with wielding enormous power behind the scenes, took a shot at President Trump over his handling of the coronavirus crisis while offering her own hagiographic portrayal of Obama, tweeting, “Someone asked me today how would @BarackObama have handled this crisis? Answer in one word – better. Ok, two words. Much better.”
Someone asked me today how would @BarackObama have handled this crisis? Answer in one word – Better. Ok, two words. Much better.
— Valerie Jarrett (@ValerieJarrett) April 1, 2020
Crenshaw was clearly troubled that in that moment, while people were dying in droves, Democrats seized the opportunity to put partisan politics above coming together as Americans. The congressman tweeted, “Why do so many Obama administration staffers constantly try to make Americans feel awful? Highlighting policy differences is expected — but this level of vitriol? During this pandemic? Why?”
Why do so many Obama administration staffers constantly try to make Americans feel awful? Highlighting policy differences is expected – but this level of vitriol? During this pandemic? Why? https://t.co/PGkiOyScrV
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) April 2, 2020
As The Daily Wire has noted:
Crenshaw is a retired lieutenant commander with the United States Navy, and was formerly a Navy SEAL. According to his campaign website’s “about” section, he “graduated from Tufts University in 2006, where he earned his Naval officer commission through Navy ROTC.” After graduation, he reported immediately to SEAL training, where he excelled, and then deployed to Fallujah, in Iraq — the first of five tours of duty serving his country overseas.
He lost his eye on his third deployment. “After six months of combat operations,” Crenshaw’s official biography notes that “Dan was hit by an IED blast during a mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan.” He lost his right eye and his left was “badly damaged.” After undergoing several surgeries, Crenshaw returned to service, deploying twice more.