Michael Knowles’ new high-energy show “Bar Fight” is going live from downtown Nashville on Wednesday night, with the Daily Wire host facing off against Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw and liberal political commentator Luke Beasley.
Knowles, Crenshaw, and Beasley are set to debate President Donald Trump’s ongoing military operation against Iran, breaking down an increasingly contentious debate in front of a rowdy Nashville audience. And the debate comes just one day after Crenshaw, who has served in Congress since 2019, lost his primary election in Texas’ 2nd district.
Wednesday night’s heavyweight debate marks the first time “Bar Fight” will stream live. It will only be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/bar-fight">available on DailyWire+</a>.
The three “Bar Fight” participants will also face questions from Daily Wire members and the live Music City audience. The live edition of “Bar Fight” is slightly different from normal programming as past episodes typically feature Knowles facing off against two liberals. Will the audience see Knowles and Crenshaw team up to take down Beasley’s arguments or is there also a divide between the two conservatives?
Crenshaw, a retired Navy SEAL, has supported Trump’s strikes on Iran, while Beasley, who hosts his own political podcast, has called the president’s action “an unconstitutional initiation of a war.”
The Iran conflict, like nearly every political issue, has divided Republicans and Democrats, but the American public is mostly supportive of Trump’s actions so far, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/majority-of-voters-back-trumps-operation-epic-fury-view-iran-as-threat-to-global-peace?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=12&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Majority+Of+Voters+Back+Trump%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%98Operation+Epic+Fury%2C%E2%80%99+View+Iran+As+%E2%80%98Threat+To+Global+Peace%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> released by OnMessage on Tuesday. The poll shows that 56% of likely voters support the United States taking out Iranian leadership, while 63% agree with targeting Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile sites. Nearly 70% of respondents, meanwhile, agree with the Trump administration’s argument that Iran is a “threat to global peace and democracy,” and 76% agree that “if Iran built a nuclear weapon, [it] would pose a direct threat to the United States.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/bar-fight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch “Bar Fight” on DailyWire+</a>.

Bar Fight with Michael Knowles

‘Bar Fight’ Goes Live: Knowles Debates Iran War With Republican Dan Crenshaw And Liberal Luke Beasley

Daily Wire

Dan Crenshaw

Donald Trump

Iran

Michael Knowles

Nashville

U.S. Military

Four-term Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) was beaten decisively in the Republican primary for Texas’s 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday.
Crenshaw comes behind state Rep. Steve Toth by a wide margin, a stunning reversal for a lawmaker who entered Congress in 2019 as one of the GOP’s most prominent rising stars. With 94% of the votes counted on Wednesday morning, Toth won 56% to Crenshaw&#8217;s 40.5%, according to the Associated Press.
Crenshaw was first elected in 2018, succeeding retiring Republican Rep. Ted Poe in the suburban Houston-based district. A former Navy SEAL who lost an eye in Afghanistan, Crenshaw quickly became a fixture on cable news and conservative media, gaining national attention during his first campaign and building a reputation as a sharp, combative communicator.
In Congress, he positioned himself as a national security-focused conservative, serving on key committees and often emphasizing border security, energy production, and military readiness. He cultivated an image as a policy-oriented Republican willing to engage across factions of the party, though that positioning increasingly placed him at odds with its populist wing.
Crenshaw survived prior primary challenges, but not without turbulence. While he maintained comfortable general election victories in the solidly Republican district, he faced criticism from grassroots activists who viewed him as <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/14/dan-crenshaw-2022-reelection/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%20have%20grifters%20in%20our,at%20all%2C%E2%80%9D%20Rogers%20said.">insufficiently aligned</a> with the party. His votes on certain spending measures and <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4603977-gop-lawmaker-slams-republican-colleagues-over-ukraine-support-they-would-like-to-see-the-russians-win/">foreign aid packages</a> drew scrutiny from the right, and he occasionally <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2021/12/09/dan-crenshaw-texas-grifters-backlash/">clashed publicly</a> with conservative commentators and fellow Republicans.
Over time, those fissures widened. As the Republican Party shifted further toward a more combative, populist posture under President Donald Trump, Crenshaw’s brand of hawkish, institutional conservatism lost ground among segments of the primary electorate. His criticism of some Trump-aligned figures and his support for certain bipartisan legislative efforts fueled the perception among critics that he was out of step with the party’s grassroots base.
That discontent has coalesced around Toth, a longtime Texas state legislator with strong ties to the state’s conservative activist network. Toth ran a campaign positioning himself as a more reliable ally of the Trump-aligned wing of the GOP, emphasizing border security, opposition to federal spending, and what he described as the need to send a fighter to Washington.
Crenshaw’s defeat marks one of the most high-profile primary losses of the cycle, especially in a safe Republican seat where the decisive battle is likely the primary. Toth will face Democrat Shaun Finnie, an investment banker, in November. Finnie ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. However, Texas’s 2nd District has remained firmly Republican in recent cycles, and the GOP nominee will be heavily favored in the general election barring a dramatic shift in turnout or national conditions.
Crenshaw’s trajectory mirrors a broader pattern within the GOP: lawmakers who rose during the pre-2020 era and sought to balance establishment conservatism with populist energy have increasingly found themselves squeezed by challengers promising clearer alignment with the party’s current center of gravity.
For Crenshaw, the loss closes a six-year chapter that began with national momentum and ends amid a changing party landscape. Whether he seeks another path in public life remains to be seen. But, Texas’s 2nd District will likely send a new Republican to Washington — and one whose ascent underscores just how much the party’s internal politics have shifted since 2018.
&nbsp;

Freshman Class Photo

Dan Crenshaw Defeated: Four-Term Texas Incumbent Goes Down In Primary

Elections

Politics

Texas

Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough invoked the ire of Republicans in Congress on Thursday for rejecting provisions in the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; championed by President Donald Trump.
A couple of GOP lawmakers called for MacDonough to be overruled after she ruled against <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/26/trump-tax-bill-medicaid-setback-senate/84367717007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed changes</a> to Medicaid over the view that they do not comply with Senate rules for the budget reconciliation process being used to fast-track the legislation.
&#8220;The Senate Parliamentarian, an unelected staffer, is gutting the House’s OBBB and axing conservative wins. Her word isn’t law — just advice. Senate Republicans: ignore her and deliver on President Trump’s agenda, backed by 77M Americans!&#8221; Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) <a href="https://x.com/RepKeithSelf/status/1938254272216350894" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X.
Others are going as far as to demand that MacDonough be forced out of the role she has held since being <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2012/01/31/politics/senate-female-parliamentarian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appointed</a> by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in 2012.
&#8220;The WOKE Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid and advised Al Gore, just STRUCK DOWN a provision BANNING illegals from stealing Medicaid from American citizens. This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/SenTuberville/status/1938237688261333020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL). &#8220;Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected BY THE PEOPLE. Her job is not to push a woke agenda. THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHOULD BE FIRED ASAP.&#8221;
Republicans are working to pass the bill using the reconciliation process, which allows the Senate to bypass the 60-vote threshold for a filibuster. However, the parliamentarian determined proposals for Medicaid and other programs do not adhere to the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RL30862" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Byrd Rule</a>, which demands they stay focused on the budget.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) indicated that he did not plan to overrule MacDonough, <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/06/26/congress/john-thune-senate-parliamentarian-overrule-00425792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telling</a> POLITICO, &#8220;No, that would not be a good option for getting a bill done.&#8221;
He also suggested lawmakers will try to work around MacDonough&#8217;s rulings even as the July 4 deadline favored by Trump fast approaches, and changes they make will have to be approved by the House, which already passed a version of the legislation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-one-big-beautiful-bill-in-massive-win-for-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one month ago</a>.
&#8220;These are speed bumps along the way, we anticipated those and so we have contingency plans. Obviously, you have to adjust the timing and schedule a little bit, but we&#8217;re moving forward,&#8221; Thune said, per <a href="https://x.com/maxpcohen/status/1938249056846778369" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punchbowl News</a>.
In years past, some Democrats also called for MacDonough to be overruled or fired after rulings in the reconciliation process did not go their way, like after the parliamentarian <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/02/26/senate-parliamentarian-minimum-wage-overrule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> a proposed minimum-wage increase in 2021 when they controlled the Senate and Joe Biden was president.
But, at the present time, Democrats are in the minority and depend on MacDonough&#8217;s assessments to stymie the GOP&#8217;s agenda.
&#8220;Democrats are continuing to make the case against every provision in this Big, Beautiful Betrayal of a bill that violates Senate rules and hurts families and workers,” <a href="https://www.budget.senate.gov/ranking-member/newsroom/press/byrd-rule-violations-continue-to-mount-on-the-republicans-one-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR). “Democrats are fighting back against Republicans’ plans to gut Medicaid, dismantle the Affordable Care Act, and kick kids, veterans, seniors, and folks with disabilities off of their health insurance — all to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Republicans are scrambling to rewrite parts of this bill to continue advancing their families lose, and billionaires win agenda, but Democrats stand ready to fully scrutinize any changes and ensure the Byrd Rule is enforced.”
One GOP lawmaker in the House, Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), pointed out that Republicans <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/02/26/senate-parliamentarian-minimum-wage-overrule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did fire</a> the parliamentarian in 2001 in a similar clash over budgetary matters and encouraged Thune to remove MacDonough from her perch now.
&#8220;This is not about partisanship, it is about rule of law. She has failed to apply the rules of reconciliation accurately on multiple occasions,&#8221; Crenshaw <a href="https://x.com/dancrenshawtx/status/1938264675486925184?s=46" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X, adding that &#8220;the current parliamentarian has shown clear political bias, applying ideology and not the rules of the Senate.&#8221;
Crenshaw took particular issue with the parliamentarian&#8217;s ruling against his own proposal.
&#8220;There are many examples of this so far, but today was the final red line for me. She struck my provision that stops federal funding for gender transition procedures, claiming it doesn’t have budgetary impact and therefore is “out of order,&#8221; Crenshaw said. &#8220;The FACT is this provision absolutely has a direct budgetary impact. It amends Section 1903(i) of the Social Security Act, which governs federal payments under Medicaid. So MacDonough’s claim that it’s noncompliant on procedural grounds is absolutely wrong.&#8221;
He concluded: &#8220;This is bigger than one provision. It’s about the sanctity of the rules and laws we follow, and the importance of the position of the Head Parliamentarian, who must be an objective non-partisan who applies the rules with consistency, not ideology.&#8221;

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD)

GOP Furious As Unelected Bureaucrat Yanks Conservative Elements From ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

GOP Furious As Unelected Bureaucrat Yanks Conservative Elements From 'Big, Beautiful Bill'

Congress

John Thune

Tommy Tuberville

U.S. Senate

The Trump-backed “big, beautiful bill&#8221; House Republicans passed early Thursday will prohibit all federal funding for transgender procedures on both children and adults if signed into law.
During a marathon nighttime session, Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) successfully expanded a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-take-big-step-to-codify-trumps-battle-against-gender-insanity?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Republicans+Take+Big+Step+To+Codify+Trump’s+Battle+Against+Gender+Insanity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provision</a> banning funding for transgender procedures for kids to include adults as well. Due to Crenshaw&#8217;s amendment, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program will no longer cover life-altering and dangerous transgender medical procedures.
&#8220;The Crenshaw Amendment will become law — and it’s long overdue,&#8221; the Texas Republican told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Gender transition procedures are the lobotomy of our generation. So-called &#8216;gender-affirming care&#8217; isn’t healthcare—it’s fringe science with no proven benefit and massive risks.&#8221;
The provision was secured by an amendment to Section 1903(i) of the Social Security Act, prohibiting funding for medically unnecessary procedures. This would mean funding would no longer go toward things like removing the breasts of women who identify as men or crafting pseudo male or female genitalia for transgender-identifying individuals.
Last week, Crenshaw introduced a provision banning the funding of the procedures on kids into the House Energy and Commerce Committee budget bill that it sent to the House Budget Committee. That provision alone would have saved $1.4 billion in taxpayer dollars, The Daily Signal <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/05/15/republicans-could-secure-about-1-4-billion-savings-through-defunding-child-transitions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last week.
The full House passed the budget bill 215-214 Thursday morning, including Crenshaw&#8217;s transgender funding ban for both kids and adults. President Donald Trump has cited the ban on funding of child transgender procedures as one of the reasons for Republicans to back the bill.
Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) has pushed for a similar provision to end all taxpayer funding of transgender procedures.
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Crenshaw also secured reimbursements for Texas and other border states that have borne the brunt of the illegal immigration under former President Joe Biden, and added work requirements for able-bodied adults to be eligible for Medicaid, with exceptions for disabled people or pregnant women.
Social conservatives also picked up another major win with the advancement of the budget bill, as it would end Medicaid funding for abortion giant Planned Parenthood. Terry Schilling, the president of the American Principles Project, celebrated the passage of the bill.
&#8220;The One, Big, Beautiful Bill that passed the House will end taxpayer funding for gender transition surgeries, defund Planned Parenthood and increase the Child Tax Credit – all are monumental wins for our great nation,&#8221; Schilling said. &#8220;Now it is time for the Senate to get this bill across the finish line so we can Make Families Great Again.”

Members Of The Texas Congressional Delegation Speak On Border Security

‘Long Overdue’: House Republicans Vote To End Federal Funding For Transgender Procedures

Budget

House of Representatives

Medicaid

Transgender

transgender surgery

House Republicans took major step on Wednesday afternoon towards codifying President Donald Trump&#8217;s efforts to protect children from transgender procedures during a marathon markup session for the &#8220;one, big, beautiful bill&#8221; working its way through Congress.
After a 26-hour budget hearing, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a provision from Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) that would block federal dollars funding transgender procedures. This means that Medicaid, Affordable Care Act, and Children&#8217;s Health Insurance Program money will no longer be allowed to fund procedures like removing the breasts of girls who identify as boys or putting children on cross-sex hormones, if the provision makes it through the rest of the reconciliation process.
The provision was included in the committee&#8217;s portion of the Trump-backed budget bill. In a video shared with The Daily Wire, Crenshaw said he believed that ultimately his proposal would become law.
&#8220;I think it will pass the House, I think it will pass the Senate. I think President Trump will sign it into law. Keep in mind, President Trump has already done an executive action on this, but it needs to be codified for it to really take effect. This is a huge win,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You got to protect these kids, the science is clear at this point.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dan Crenshaw just made sure a ban on federal funding for any transgender procedure on kids is in the House budget bill.
Here’s what he had to say—after 26 hours of debate with Democrats: <a href="https://t.co/Yi4aP7heCs">pic.twitter.com/Yi4aP7heCs</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1922768711389188573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He added that it was &#8220;interesting&#8221; that Democrats did not introduce any amendments to block his provision while they did for every other GOP-backed proposal.
&#8220;They know it&#8217;s a losing issue, they know we won this issue. They know to stay away from it. Stay away from kids. Stop doing pseudo-science, scientific experiments on children who would be better off in therapy. We&#8217;re winning.&#8221;
Crenshaw introduced his provision at around 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, roughly 25 hours after the committee began its meeting at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
&#8220;This will become law and I couldn&#8217;t be happier about it,&#8221; Crenshaw said. &#8220;Gender transition procedures are the lobotomy of our generation. People will look back on this period, I think with disbelief, I guarantee it. &#8216;Gender-affirming care&#8217; isn&#8217;t healthcare, it&#8217;s fringe science with no proven benefit and enormous risks.&#8221;
Democrat Rep. Nanette Díaz Barragán (CA) referred to Crenshaw&#8217;s comments as &#8220;gibberish&#8221; and attacked Republicans over provisions meant to reform Medicaid.
Crenshaw proposed a similar bill in January. Now, the proposal from the House Energy Committee will go to the House Budget Committee, which will then combine each of the House committee&#8217;s budget proposals into one piece of legislation that will then go to the full House for a vote.
The Texas Republican&#8217;s provision was part of the House Energy Committee&#8217;s commitment to identify $880 billion in spending cuts. Another proposal from Crenshaw was an 80-hour-per-month work, training, or volunteer requirement for able-bodied, working-age adults without dependents to get Medicaid. Exceptions for seniors, pregnant women, caregivers, students, and those with disabilities were given.
If Crenshaw&#8217;s transgender procedures proposal makes it across the finish line, it would cement in law President Donald Trump&#8217;s executive order on &#8220;Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation.&#8221; Trump directed his cabinet to ensure that no federal dollars were going toward hospitals or institutions that promote or perform transgender procedures on children.
Trump&#8217;s executive order called for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to look at ways to &#8220;take all appropriate actions to end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children&#8221; including by examining Medicaid funding. The Department of Health and Human Services <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hhs-releases-damning-review-of-gender-treatments-for-minors-the-risks-cannot-be-ignored" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released a report</a> earlier this month documenting the risks of transgender procedures for children, including infertility, sexual dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease.
In the other chamber, Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) is pushing for his “No Subsidies for Gender Transition Procedures Act,&#8221; which would prohibit federal dollars from funding any transgender medical procedure, to be included in the reconciliation process.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw

Republicans Take Big Step To Codify Trump’s Battle Against Gender Insanity

gender ideology

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) said over the weekend that changing the power dynamic in Ukraine is critical to forcing Russian President Vladimir Putin to the table and bringing the war to an end.
Crenshaw made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; with host Margaret Brennan when asked about what continued role the United States would have in backing Ukraine.
He said that the Trump administration wants lasting peace in Ukraine, which means that security assurances must be put in place to prevent future wars from erupting.
&#8220;I think the Europeans have to play a huge role in that,&#8221; he said. &#8220;One of the things that gets talked about a lot is European forces actually acting as a peacekeeping force.&#8221;
&#8220;The Ukrainians clearly have a seat at the table and then the United States will be the intermediary as we try to establish a peace deal,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But the Europeans need to demand a seat at the table by being uncomfortably aggressive, which is something they haven&#8217;t done. You should be threatening things to Putin that actually make you uncomfortable because that&#8217;s the only language Putin speaks is power.&#8221;
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He said that America&#8217;s message to Europe was that if they wanted to win, they needed to bolster their defense spending and not rely so heavily on the United States.
&#8220;You need to be talking about where you&#8217;re going to be putting actual troops on the ground,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Stop following our lead and actually take the lead. Let us be actually holding you back. That would be an ideal situation and vastly change the power dynamic when dealing with Putin.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Extended interview: Crenshaw says Europe should be &quot;uncomfortably aggressive&quot; to counter Russia" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N0VgEZ7UD9U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Dan Crenshaw: Europe Needs To Be ‘Uncomfortably Aggressive’ Toward Russia To End War

CBS News

Face The Nation

Margaret Brennan

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) shut down CNN&#8217;s Kaitlan Collins during an interview this week after she suggested that he was not qualified to make the judgment of whether transgender individuals are capable of serving in the U.S. military.
The exchange happened Monday night on &#8220;The Source&#8221; when Collins asked Crenshaw, who served in multiple combat deployments as a Navy SEAL: &#8220;Why would you be making that decision, and not a medical professional, or someone who makes those decisions about vision, or whatever issues they evaluate, before deploying somebody?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m saying, by definition, if you have transitioned into a different gender, you are not meeting our medical standards,&#8221; Crenshaw responded.
Collins responded, &#8220;But that&#8217;s your opinion.&#8221;
&#8220;No, it&#8217;s not an opinion,&#8221; Crenshaw fired back. &#8220;That is a pretty easy-to-prove fact. It makes it much harder on our units to deploy. Period. Like, full stop.&#8221;
When Collins asked how there were transgender soldiers in the U.S. military right now, Crenshaw responded: &#8220;There&#8217;s a difference between identifying — like, again, look, you could show up to your job, the next day, and say that your name is now, Ken. That&#8217;s different. You can identify that way. And that was Trump&#8217;s old policy, by the way. They would allow you to serve that way.&#8221;
&#8220;But there&#8217;s a very big difference between doing that, and actually undergoing medical procedures that take you out of service,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And yes, you call it medical leave. But that&#8217;s some pretty severe medical leave. So, why would we allow that? And then you say that you&#8217;re deployable to austere environments? No way. That&#8217;s just not true.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Kudos to <a href="https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanCrenshawTX</a> for the SERIOUS pushback on <a href="https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kaitlancollins</a> on the issues of transgender individuals serving in the military. <a href="https://t.co/UXCJ6Zfpyz">pic.twitter.com/UXCJ6Zfpyz</a>
— Justin Hart (@justin_hart) <a href="https://twitter.com/justin_hart/status/1884268198796877987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>

U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) seen speaking at the

Crenshaw Blasts CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Over Remarks About Transgender Soldiers

Kaitlan Collins

Military

Transgenders

Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas is investigating how much taxpayer money is spent on sex change treatments for minors.
Crenshaw wrote a <a href="https://crenshaw.house.gov/_cache/files/8/a/8a28f577-2e5a-4652-bc80-9aa575b03f7b/21A280C4216D446A74F004A3826B38DE.crenshaw-letter-to-cbo.pdf">letter</a> to the Congressional Budget Office on Thursday asking for a review of federal programs that allocate funds toward sex-change treatments and operations from therapy to surgery.
“Cosmetic self-harm for minors is not medicine. Children’s hospitals offering gender-transition procedures should be stripped of their federal funding. To eliminate support, we must first expose the full extent of government complicity in this ideological fantasy, paving the way to cut it during budget reconciliation next Congress.” Crenshaw said in a <a href="https://crenshaw.house.gov/2024/12/reps-crenshaw-presses-the-congressional-budget-office-to-estimate-the-cost-of-gender-transition-for-minors">statement</a>.
The congressman’s letter requested data on the “total aggregate dollar amount spent to fund ‘gender transition procedures’ during Fiscal Years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, including a breakdown by year and by each federal program (e.g. Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program) that distributed funds to medical institutions performing ‘gender transition procedures’ on minors during Fiscal Years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.”
He also asked for a breakdown of the growth of the funding directed toward sex change treatments.
Last year, Crenshaw <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/crenshaw-moves-to-block-taxpayer-funds-for-childrens-hospitals-that-transition-minors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> legislation to block taxpayer funds from going to hospitals and treatment centers that offer sex-change treatments for minors. He added the provision to a reauthorization of the Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education Payment Program. Crenshaw’s legislation has yet to receive a vote on the House floor.
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“‘Gender affirming care’ for minors is indistinguishable from child abuse, and it is quickly becoming the human rights issue of our time. There is no other human rights atrocity in America that is so quickly gaining momentum and validation within the very institutions that should know better,” Crenshaw said in a statement to The Daily Wire at the time.
“One of these institutions is children’s hospitals. In a place where ‘do no harm’ is the ultimate guiding principle, there is no excuse to ever perform treatments that permanently alter a child’s physiology,” he continued. “From now on, we will not allow a dime of taxpayer funding to go toward children’s hospitals that cater to the harmful pseudoscience that is ‘gender affirming care.’”

Dan Crenshaw Wants To Know How Much Taxpayer Money Funds Child Sex Change Treatments

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington D.C.

Several House Republicans replaced the three American flags that were torn down in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday by &#8220;pro-Hamas protesters&#8221; who burned them while chanting &#8220;Allahu Akbar&#8221;.
&#8220;Earlier today, pro-Hamas protesters took down the American flags at Union Station, burned them and raised Palestinian flags,&#8221; House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) posted on X. &#8220;Tonight, we righted their wrong. American flags are once again flying over Union Station. We will not let the terrorist mob win.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 Speaker Johnson and a group of House Republicans led by <a href="https://twitter.com/RepWilliams?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepWilliams</a> say the Pledge of Allegiance after replacing the American flags that were taken down by those protesting Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Capitol Hill <a href="https://t.co/lvwm0SMBoS">pic.twitter.com/lvwm0SMBoS</a>
— Ryan Schmelz (@RyanSchmelzFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanSchmelzFOX/status/1816298016917058026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
Johnson was accompanied by multiple Republican members of Congress, many of whom are U.S. military veterans, including Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), and Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX).
&#8220;We raised the flags back up🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸,&#8221; Crenshaw posted on X. &#8220;Earlier today, terrorist sympathizers tore down the American flags at Union Station, burned them, and raised the Palestinian flag in its place. After votes tonight, a group of members, including many veterans and the Speaker of the House, took our flag back and raised it.&#8221;
&#8220;Took a while to get it done because the Hamas supporters broke the connections, but DC police helped us out and got us zip ties,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We raised the flags back up🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Earlier today, terrorist sympathizers tore down the American flags at Union Station, burned them, and raised the Palestinian flag in its place. After votes tonight, a group of members, including many veterans and the Speaker of the House, took… <a href="https://t.co/hYbqLmxe21">pic.twitter.com/hYbqLmxe21</a>
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/1816307303588474895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Tearing down and burning the American flag in the name of Hamas is disgusting and reprehensible,&#8221; Van Orden wrote. &#8220;These terrorist sympathizers will not win. The American flag will fly again.&#8221;
The extremists, some of whom were flying Hamas flags and wearing Hamas headbands, were protesting in response to the Israeli Prime Minister delivering a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday where he thanked lawmakers for their continued support of Israel.
“We recently learned from the U.S. Director of National Intelligence that Iran is funding and promoting anti-Israel protests in America,” he said. “They want to disrupt America.”
He said that those participating in the protests were “Iran’s useful idiots” since they were supporting a terrorist regime that “hangs gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair.”
“Some of these protestors, it’s amazing. Absolutely amazing. Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming, ‘Gays for Gaza,’” he said. “They might as well hold up signs saying, ‘Chickens for KFC.’ These protesters chant, ‘From the river to the sea,’ but many don’t have a clue what river and what sea they’re talking about. They not only get an F in geography, they get an F in history.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin <a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Netanyahu</a>: “They refuse to make the simple distinction between those who target terrorists and those who targets civilians, between the democratic state of visual and the terrorist thugs of hamas we recently learned from the national security… <a href="https://t.co/eYH02IEWQo">pic.twitter.com/eYH02IEWQo</a>
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1816180871298249209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2024</a></blockquote>

US-ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CONFLICT-PROTEST

Republicans Raise American Flags, Recite Pledge Of Allegiance After Far-Left Protesters Tore Them Down, Burned Them

American Flag

Hamas

Mike Johnson

The following is an edited transcript of an interview between Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley and Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) on a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/dan-crenshaw-s-crusade-against-ideological-persecution-saturday-extra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saturday Extra edition of Morning Wire</a>.
The Biden administration’s prosecution of a Texas doctor who blew the whistle on transgender procedures being conducted on children in the state has sparked accusations of political and ideological persecution. We spoke with U.S. congressman from the state of Texas, Republican Dan Crenshaw, about what actions he and his colleagues are taking on the issue of child transgender medical procedures and what they say is the weaponization of the federal government.
JOHN: Joining us now is Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw of Texas. Congressman, thank you for coming on. Let&#8217;s start with the prosecution of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-doctor-blew-the-whistle-on-his-hospitals-transgender-clinic-now-the-feds-are-trying-to-ruin-his-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Eithan Haim</a>. He worked at the Texas Children&#8217;s Hospital in your district. He&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-doctor-at-the-center-of-latest-texas-childrens-hospital-scandal-built-an-alliance-with-transgender-activists?topStoryPosition=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being prosecuted</a> after blowing the whistle on the hospital because it was continuing to perform transgender procedures on children, even after the Texas AG said that practice is dangerous. You believe this is a political prosecution. Why?
DAN: Well, I believe it&#8217;s political because it&#8217;s unusual for the DOJ and HHS to bring somebody up on criminal charges for HIPAA violations. And if you look at what they&#8217;re really charging him with, it&#8217;s a stretch to say it&#8217;s even a HIPAA violation. So they&#8217;re charging him for unlawful access to the database, but of course he has access to that database, to patient data. He did not release any personal information on those patients. He anonymized any data he released. So you have to squint really hard to see this as a HIPAA violation and to justify federal agents arresting him for doing this. This is the kind of thing where you might think Texas Children&#8217;s might have a civil case against him for it, and they would go to the courts as such, and there might be a fine involved, right? That&#8217;s what you would normally expect from this. But these are criminal charges being brought against him for accessing a database that he has perfectly lawful access to. Of course it&#8217;s political because this is such a politicized topic. This is the topic of affirmative transgender care on minors. It&#8217;s pretty contentious, I&#8217;ve noticed, because I&#8217;ve introduced legislation in the Congress and watched even my most moderate, reasonable Democrats throw their hands up like crazy people and argue with me that it should be okay to do a double mastectomy on a 12-year-old girl just because she thinks she&#8217;s a boy. So, hyper-politicized.
JOHN: We&#8217;ve seen the Biden administration prioritize this issue in a way that we&#8217;ve never seen another administration do. What do Republicans need to do if they want to counter the Democrat agenda on this?
DAN: Conservatives need to fight back against it. Now, in Texas, shortly after this whistleblower blew the whistle on Texas Children&#8217;s Hospital, Texas passed SB14, which prohibits this practice entirely. Then, there was no question. After that, I think it can be said that all the hospitals in Texas stopped doing these procedures because it was made in law. Prior to that – and what Dr. Haim was referencing when he blew the whistle – was an opinion from the Attorney General. So the Attorney General issued an opinion, which is a fairly normal thing to do, saying, look, we&#8217;ve looked into this, our interpretation of the laws based on child abuse laws says that you cannot do this practice. So, hospitals are taking a risk at that point if they move forward because they could be prosecuted by the Attorney General because he&#8217;s made it clear what the interpretation is of that law. And then again, shortly afterwards the law was made extremely clear: You cannot do this in Texas.
JOHN: Then we have the Title IX changes, which do directly address gender identity and make this something for all publicly funded educational programs.
DAN: Yes, I have a new daughter now, she&#8217;s nine-months-old and God help the people who try to put a boy in whatever sport she wants to play. There&#8217;s not enough wrath for them. We have to fight this and the public is on our side — the public is on our side on all of these issues. We saw a Washington Post survey some time ago that asked the public, ”Do you support puberty blockers or hormone therapy for minors for a gender transition?” They didn&#8217;t even ask about surgeries, by the way – just asked about those two things. 70% said no. This practice of affirmative gender care is being rolled back in Europe. They&#8217;re seeing how the data just doesn&#8217;t add up. The recent systematic review by Dr. Cass from the U.K. really was the final nail in the coffin on this practice. After reviewing all of the data and all of the studies and all of the methodology behind each study, it showed that this practice just doesn&#8217;t come with any benefits, but it does come with enormous risks. And that&#8217;s a really big problem. These are huge long-term physiological changes, and if we can&#8217;t even point to any benefits from doing them – well, then we&#8217;ve got a problem on our hands.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/dan-crenshaw-s-crusade-against-ideological-persecution-saturday-extra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LISTEN: Catch the full interview with Congressman Dan Crenshaw on the Saturday Extra edition of Morning Wire</a></h4>
JOHN: Indeed. I want to talk about some actions you&#8217;ve taken related to this. First, you sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Health and Human Services Secretary Javier Becerra, demanding all documents regarding the prosecution of Haim. In the letter, you say the prosecutor did not even review the evidence before considering him a target. Is that true?
DAN: That&#8217;s true, as far as we know. That&#8217;s from Dr. Haim&#8217;s lawyers and I don&#8217;t think they would make that claim if they didn&#8217;t have some sort of proof. Again, showing how politicized this is. I mean, they see a case like this and they say, “Let&#8217;s go, let&#8217;s go! Boom, boom, boom.” And they start shooting in the air and hooping and hollering and driving off into the sunset. That&#8217;s yet another reason we think this is politicized. This kind of thing should not be done lightly.
JOHN: Do you expect AG Garland to actually cooperate? He&#8217;s been pretty uncooperative so far with Congress. Do you feel like he&#8217;s going to stonewall again?
DAN: Absolutely. I don&#8217;t expect real answers to this. They&#8217;re going to come back and claim — if they even bother to respond— that it&#8217;s an active investigation and that they can&#8217;t possibly share records or any information about it. I have another piece of legislation, which I think would be quite helpful in this. I&#8217;ve been urging the Speaker to take it up because it&#8217;s already passed out of our committee on energy, and my legislation would actually prohibit funding the children&#8217;s hospitals around the nation, specifically for Graduate Medical Education (GME), which basically funds their residencies. It&#8217;s a federal program that helps fund residencies and hospitals. A good program we all like, but I don&#8217;t think you should have access to that kind of federal money if you are engaging in child abuse and bullying parents into “transitioning” their kids. So, again, the public is well behind us on this. I want to have that debate on the floor and get that moving.
JOHN: And that would block funds from going to that program if you did that, if you promoted transgender treatments and procedures for children.
DAN: Right. Your access to that federal money would be contingent on whether or not you perform those kinds of procedures.
JOHN: Final question: We&#8217;ve seen quite a few seemingly political prosecutions by government agencies, against Donald Trump and many of his attorneys — John Eastman, Rudy Giuliani — and even peaceful pro-life objectors. What do you make of what Jim Jordan calls a “weaponized” government?
DAN: Well, look we even created a subcommittee on Jordan&#8217;s Judiciary Committee to deal with this called the Weaponization of Government Select Committee. Obviously it&#8217;s something we take seriously as Republicans, and we&#8217;re not crazy. I&#8217;m the first to call out my own side when people are overreacting or going down some rabbit holes they shouldn&#8217;t go down. But this isn&#8217;t really one of them. There is a list of these prosecutions and they are out of the ordinary. We obviously just talked about this one, which is just simply out of the ordinary. Anything wildly out of the ordinary in the court of law should be looked at with some skepticism and you should note that there might be political bias there. The charges against Trump – I still haven&#8217;t heard one real good lawyer actually come out and say, “No, these are actually real charges, somebody else might get charged with this kind of thing.” Nobody has said that. Everybody knows they&#8217;re bogus. And the list goes on and on, and it&#8217;s ironic because the Democrats are constantly wringing their hands and clutching their pearls — that were probably donated to them by rich people in Hollywood. And they&#8217;re constantly wringing their hands about the “threats to democracy.” Well, one of the greatest threats to democracy is the upending of the sanctity of our judicial system. And if you don&#8217;t believe you can get a fair shot in a court of law, you do start to lose your democracy. That&#8217;s a huge part of our social contract, of our nation&#8217;s fabric that holds us together. This idea that there&#8217;s due process, that if you make the right arguments and you show the right evidence that you can prevail. If that turns out not to be the case, you&#8217;ve got a very, very serious problem on your hands, just from a basic civics perspective.
JOHN: A very troubling prospect, no doubt. Congressman, thank you so much for joining us. 
DAN: Thanks for having me.
* * *
Catch the full interview between John Bickley and Dan Crenshaw on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/dan-crenshaw-s-crusade-against-ideological-persecution-saturday-extra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morning Wire</a>.

‘Hyper-Politicized’: Dan Crenshaw’s Crusade Against Ideological Persecution

'Hyper-Politicized': Dan Crenshaw’s Crusade Against Ideological Persecution

Biden Administration

Children's Health

interview

Merrick Garland

Morning Wire

Readers Pass

The following is a transcript excerpt of a special Sunday edition of Morning Wire. The full episode can be heard <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/promise-peril-veterans-promote-psychedelics-to-treat-addiction-6-25-23">here</a>.
As the Opioid epidemic continues to ravage the United States, scientists and lawmakers are taking a novel – and controversial – approach to combating the crisis: psychedelics. Despite continued concerns about the drugs, a number of studies have shown promising results and some states are beginning to fund research. Now military veterans and advocates say that one psychoactive substance in particular, Ibogaine, offers a potential medicinal breakthrough that could save lives.
Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley sat down with reporter Tim Pearce to discuss the potential medical applications of psychedelics.
JOHN: Tim, this is a fascinating topic that’s gaining steam in Washington and within the veteran community — while also prompting lots of questions and concerns. First, how did we get to this point — this official interest in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-psychedelics-are-revolutionizing-the-way-we-treat-mental-illness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">psychedelics</a>?
TIM: Understandably, when a lot of people hear the word ‘psychedelic’ they instantly think of illicit drug use, with images of Woodstock coming to mind. But that perception is starting to change — especially in the medical community, where a number of recent studies have shown that psychedelic drugs could have immense benefits in treating drug addiction, PTSD, and a slew of other mental health disorders. The drug getting the most attention is called Ibogaine — a substance derived from the Iboga plant in Africa. Traditionally, Ibogaine has been used in shamanistic rituals for its hallucinogenic properties, but a growing number of scientists say it’s a powerful tool in combating addiction. Back in the ’60s, a scientist named Howard Lotsof <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/us/17lotsof.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took Ibogaine</a> recreationally with six friends — all of whom were frequent heroin users. According to Lotsof, all but one in the group saw their heroin addiction disappear overnight, with no withdrawal symptoms. That experience led Lotsof to devote much of his research career to studying the scientific components of the drug — he commissioned a number of studies over the next few decades that showed similar effects, but Ibogaine failed to gain mainstream attention. It wasn’t until the last decade, as the Opioid epidemic descended on the U.S. and scientists began looking for alternative treatment plans, that Ibogaine really burst onto the scene.
JOHN: Right. Tell us about some of the studies that showed promising results.
TIM: So, for years there’s been anecdotal evidence that psychedelics helped people address problems in their personal lives — everything from PTSD to addiction. But there wasn’t much hard data to go on. Because the drugs are illegal throughout the U.S., it’s difficult for scientists to conduct legitimate studies on them. But in recent years, scientists have begun to dig into psychedelics and their potential medicinal applications, and the results have been pretty surprising. For example, A study in the <a href="https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/1/2/article-p65.xml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Journal of Psychedelic Studies</a> found that 80% of patients who underwent Ibogaine treatment “eradicated or drastically reduced withdrawal syndrome” for a variety of addictions.
JOHN: So how exactly does Ibogaine work in breaking addictive tendencies?
TIM: That’s what scientists are still trying to understand. Once ingested, Ibogaine typically results in an 18-36 hour period where users experience often intense psychoactive experiences. According to users, those experiences produce deep introspective periods that encourage and help convince people to reassess their addiction, but more importantly, there’s the biological component. Again, we still don’t know all the details, but scientists at <a href="https://hub.jhu.edu/2023/06/14/psychedelic-drugs-reopen-critical-periods/">Johns Hopkins</a> say Ibogaine appears to re-wire serotonin receptors in the brain and restore brain activity to pre-exposure levels. It seems to chemically erase addiction pathways in the brain for many users — and reportedly does so after just one or two doses. While other psychedelics that have been studied more extensively for their medicinal qualities, including psilocybin, MDMA, and Ketamine typically take a round of treatments before relief is felt. Ibogaine, on the other hand, appears to work right away. That’s an important element of treatment.
JOHN: Some of that scientific evidence has drawn the attention of lawmakers. How are they reacting?
TIM: Yeah, most people wouldn’t expect to see politicians publicly calling for research into psychedelic drugs — but as more evidence comes out, that’s exactly what we’re seeing in states around the country — especially those hit hardest by the Opioid epidemic. One of the states investing in Ibogaine research is Kentucky, which last year had the second highest rate of drug overdoses in the country. Just weeks ago, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron introduced a proposal that would potentially allocate $42 million over the next six years to research Ibogaine for treating drug addiction, PTSD, and a host of other mental illnesses. At that same event, Bryan Hubbard, Executive Director of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, detailed the research some of that money will be used for. Hubbard said:
<blockquote> “Anecdotal evidence that is a mountain high and decades wide suggests that Ibogaine, within 48 to 72 hours of administration in safe, clinically-controlled conditions, resolves Opioid withdrawal syndrome. It appears to do so by clearing and resetting the brain&#8217;s Opioid receptors while also restoring the brain&#8217;s organic dopamine and serotonin production to pre-Opioid exposure levels. If this anecdotal evidence can be clinically validated, Ibogaine would represent a transformative therapeutic for treatment of Opioid use disorder…”</blockquote>
TIM: Morning Wire also spoke with Hubbard for more context on the potential medical applications of Ibogaine and why he wants more research into the drug.
<blockquote>“Due to Ibogaine’s unique properties, it has the capacity — and a very accelerated time frame — to clear the brain&#8217;s Opioid receptors, while simultaneously restoring the brain’s organic dopamine and serotonin production,” said Hubbard. “Which is almost always completely shut down in an Opioid-dependent individual.”</blockquote>
TIM: Hubbard also expressed caution: 
<blockquote>“It&#8217;s important to note that Ibogaine does come with some risk, and that risk is associated with potential cardiac toxicity. If an individual receives Ibogaine treatment, it is imperative that they receive it within a medically-controlled setting with trained professionals. It is not safe to receive in the underground or recreationally. Anyone that would suggest that Ibogaine would be appropriate to consider for decriminalization is not properly understanding the risk that comes with it or the necessity for administering it within a safe, medically-controlled setting with the appropriate medical professionals present throughout.”</blockquote>
TIM: It’s worth noting, the proposed money to fund that research is coming from an $842 million payout the state received as part of a federal lawsuit against pharma companies for their role in the Opioid crisis. This proposal is important because it marks the first wide-scale effort from a state or federal government to research the drug. Keep in mind, Ibogaine is still illegal throughout the U.S., so it’s hard to know just how many people are using it. But as word of its medicinal application has spread, a growing number of Americans are venturing to places like Australia and New Zealand, where it’s legal. This move paves the way for potential decriminalization, at least in a medical setting.
<h2>LISTEN: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/promise-peril-veterans-promote-psychedelics-to-treat-addiction-6-25-23">Catch the full episode of Morning Wire</a>.</h2>
JOHN: Beyond treating Opioid addiction, Ibogaine is also gaining traction in the military community especially. Tell us about that.
TIM: There’s also compelling evidence that the drug is useful for treating PTSD and other service-related ailments. Retired three-star Marine Corps General Martin Steele, the head of the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition, says that while Ibogaine should not be used for everyone, it should be a tool in the arsenal for veterans in need.
<blockquote>“The existing clinical research and the growing body of personal anecdotes suggests that Ibogaine, when used with careful medical screening, treatment protocols, and oversight, has incredible promise for treating veterans and others struggling with Opioid addiction,” he said.</blockquote>
TIM: Another veteran leading the way for Ibogaine treatment is Tommy Aceto, a retired Navy SEAL. Aceto told us he first heard of the treatment from fellow SEALs struggling with PTSD and drug and alcohol addictions.
<blockquote>“This is going to be crazy to say this, but there&#8217;s guys that wake up and they go &#8216;I don&#8217;t ever want to drink again. I saw what it did to me.&#8217; They&#8217;re not white knuckling it at this point,&#8221; said Aceto. &#8220;This doesn&#8217;t work for everyone, but I can&#8217;t tell you how many times I&#8217;ve seen guys say that — and I&#8217;m one of them. I didn&#8217;t have to white knuckle an addiction. They were gone.”</blockquote>
TIM: Aceto says that while experiencing the psychedelic effects of Ibogaine, he was confronted with the reality of his addictions and trauma and came out a new man. In his words, he’d tried a number of treatments and medications that didn’t work and viewed Ibogaine as a last-ditch effort for healing.
<blockquote>“I felt a reset in myself. There were a lot of triggers, or what I would call “threats,” and they were diminished tremendously.  And I had stopped taking all the medication that the Navy gave me —  probably about 13 pills.  That was a shocker. In our community, when you feel better, you want to tell as many people as you can.”</blockquote>
JOHN: We’ve seen similar calls for government action from veterans serving in Congress. Give us more details on what we’re seeing out of Washington. 
TIM: This month, a number of congressmen, including SEAL veterans Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) and Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), introduced legislation that would allocate $75 million towards research into psychedelics. Here’s Rep. Luttrell speaking outside the capitol:
<blockquote>“Make no mistake, my journey, my experience with this treatment was the most horrific experience of my entire life. It was absolutely miserable. This is not something you do recreationally. The medications I took were Ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT. It gives me the &#8220;hibbity jibbities&#8221; even thinking about doing it ever again, which I never will do. I will never tell anybody to do this — ever. If you find yourself in a place where you are lost, and no other modalities have worked, this could possibly be that tool. I can honestly stand here in front of all of you and the American public and say this, I was reborn. This changed my life. It saved my marriage. It is one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. I’ve never done a drug in my entire life, but I had to go overseas to do this.”</blockquote>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Introducing the Douglas &#039;Mike&#039; Day Psychedelic Therapy to Save Lives Act" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QFUSCf1cfi0?start=1401&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
JOHN: But we’re still talking about a pretty heavy-duty drug here. You mentioned earlier some of the potential risks associated with its use — what do detractors say?
TIM: This is by no means a closed case in the medical community — there are plenty of doctors who are skeptical about the use of these drugs, and it’s definitely worth noting that psychedelics like Ibogaine can have some serious negative side effects. Most notably, the drug can cause an irregular heartbeat and result in severe cases of ataxia — an affliction that impairs balance and speech. Ibogaine is also especially dangerous when those using it have other drugs in their system, including Opioids, cocaine, or antidepressants and other SSRIs. That part is important, because many users take Ibogaine because they’re addicted to those very drugs. Proponents of the treatment stress that patients must complete a detox from any drugs before taking Ibogaine. And there are also plenty of folks leery of psychedelic use on religious grounds. Ibogaine users often compare the trance they enter to a spiritual state, and often report that during their hallucinations they encounter a sort of being who guides them through the experience. Many people of religious conviction say using any form of psychedelic drug — even in a medical setting — is essentially playing with fire.
JOHN: Well, obviously we want to approach this kind of drug with a lot of caution required here. Thanks for reporting.
TIM: Thanks for having me.
<h4><a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a></h4>

Vector illustration of human head on starry space background. Artificial intelligence or cosmic consciousness concept

Why Veterans And Lawmakers Are Exploring Psychedelic Therapy For PTSD And Opioid Addiction

Drugs

Psychedelics

PTSD

Veterans

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dan-crenshaw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dan Crenshaw</a> (R-TX) slammed the U.S. government in a Thursday interview for its &#8220;epic failure of leadership&#8221; in its effort to find OceanGates&#8217; missing Titan submersible.
The remarks come after U.S. officials announced earlier in the day that the vessel had imploded, killing all five people on board.
The Wall Street Journal later <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-navy-detected-titan-sub-implosion-days-ago-6844cb12?mod=hp_trending_now_article_pos3">reported</a> that the U.S. Navy had detected the moment that the vessel imploded earlier this week using &#8220;a top secret military acoustic detection system designed to spot enemy submarines.&#8221;
Crenshaw told reporters on the Capitol steps that this was a case of &#8220;epic failure in leadership,&#8221; although he was not sure whether the lapse was the fault of the White House, the Navy, or the U.S. Coast Guard.
Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, said that the critical failure in leadership was the fact that the U.S. assets – a 6K ROV and a Magellan submarine – were not deployed sooner to join rescue efforts.
“Now, it’s important to note that if you had just deployed those assets, they would have arrived on scene by Wednesday morning at the latest,” Crenshaw said. “That tapping continues to be heard and chatted about in all these channels throughout Wednesday. Then it stops late Wednesday. They finally deploy this 6K ROV, the only thing capable of actually going to that depth and seeing what’s down there, this morning. It deploys down there and the wreckage was exactly where they thought it would be. So where’s the failure here? The failure here is to not put all your options on the table.&#8221;
Crenshaw said that industry experts told him that the implosion sound the Navy heard could have &#8220;easily been the sub just hitting the floor.&#8221;
&#8220;And then you add that with this tapping, which was apparently like your standard procedure SOS, every half hour, you are hearing that throughout the day Tuesday and Wednesday, it begs the question — could this have been resolved differently if leadership had just acted sooner and actually put options on the table instead of just assuming? Well, it doesn’t matter because they’re dead,&#8221; he added.
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WATCH:
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House Homeland Security Hearing Held To Examine Worldwide Threats

Dan Crenshaw Blasts ‘Epic Failure Of Leadership’ In U.S. Government’s Response To Titan Sub

Dan Crenshaw Blasts 'Epic Failure Of Leadership' In U.S. Government's Response To Titan Sub

Atlantic Ocean

Disasters

Titanic

U.S.

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