Texas Republican Dan Crenshaw struck back at Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, calling the cable news host who branded him “Eyepatch McCain” a “gross human being.”
Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL who lost his right eye while serving in Afghanistan and wears a patch over it, got his dig in while actually defending Carlson. While many on the left are blaming the host for Saturday’s racially charged shooting that let left 10 dead at a Buffalo, New York, market, Crenshaw said the white supremacist gunman bears all the blame for his actions.
“Like, I hate Tucker Carlson. I despise him. But he didn’t cause this, right?” Crenshaw told The Hill. “Like, I think he’s a gross human being. Doesn’t mean that his rhetoric caused it. This was caused by a legitimately crazy person.”
If that sounds like a tepid defense, recall that Carlson mocked Crenshaw on his show Monday night, likening him to late Republican Sen. John McCain, who Carlson considered a neoconservative who supported U.S. intervention around the world. Crenshaw had spoken earlier on Fox News in support of a $40 billion military and humanitarian aid package to Ukraine, and rejected the idea that it was at cross purposes with fixing the baby formula shortage plaguing the U.S.
“Do you know how much baby formula $40 billion can buy? None,” Crenshaw told Fox News guest host and former Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy.
Carlson, who has been adamant in his opposition to the Ukraine aid package, later voiced his disagreement – and coined a new nickname for Crenshaw.
“The more I think about it, it takes a lot of gall for eyepatch McCain to attack moms who are worried about baby formula as pro-Russia,” Carlson later told guest Tulsi Gabbard.
TUCKER: Dan Crenshaw is “Eyepatch McCain”pic.twitter.com/hh979Zm29J
— Election Wizard 🇺🇸 (@ElectionWiz) May 17, 2022
Crenshaw initially took Carlson’s insult in stride.
“You hurl juvenile insults when you know you’ve lost the debate…I stand by every word I said,” Crenshaw said.
Carlson fans embraced the new moniker with memes and tweets, while many others in the media and on both sides of the political spectrum condemned the remark.
“The guy gave an eye in service to our country,” tweeted @Dr.Bertha_PhD. “Love you, Tucker, but this was out of line. Do better (even if you’re right).”
Crenshaw was mocked in 2018 by “Saturday Night Live’s” Pete Davidson, who said he looked like a “hitman in a porno movie.”
“I’m sorry,” Davidson continued as the studio audience laughed. “I know he lost his eye in war or whatever.”
Davidson later apologized.