WASHINGTON — Speaker Mike Johnson is defending U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, in the wake of a report that his behavior on a congressional delegation trip to Mexico in August was inappropriate.
The dispute stems from an incident in which Crenshaw, a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the chair of a now-dissolved cartel task force, reportedly toasted a Mexican official who had made a crude joke that made a woman in the room uncomfortable, according to anonymous sources in Punchbowl News.
Following the trip, Punchbowl reported that House Intelligence Committee chair Rick Crawford, R-Arkansas, banned Crenshaw from taxpayer-funded travel outside the country for 90 days. Crawford saw that decision “as being authorized by the GOP leadership,” Punchbowl reported.
The outlet went on to report Monday that Central Intelligence Agency officials in Mexico City sent a cable to CIA headquarters in Langley raising concerns about Crenshaw’s behavior.
In a statement shared with The Texas Tribune, Johnson said he stands by Crenshaw and trusts his leadership on cartels.
“Dan Crenshaw has always been and still is our point man in Congress when it comes to addressing the threat of the drug cartels,” Johnson said. “His insights and expertise in these and other matters regarding intelligence and national security are invaluable. As a former Navy SEAL, he has earned his large platform. Despite recent media attacks by his political opponents, we know Dan, we stand by his record, and we have full confidence he will continue to deliver results.”
Crenshaw has disputed the merits of Punchbowl’s story, including that he was banned from traveling. He argued that the outlet’s portrayal of the incident was overblown, writing on X that the allegedly offensive toast happened in the middle of the day, at the end of a meeting with Mexican officials about dealing with cartels.
“Anyone shocked by guys in uniform making a crass joke over a toast has never spent more than five minutes around the military,” a Crenshaw spokesperson told Punchbowl. “The only story here is a pathetic political hit job.”
Punchbowl also reported that Crawford had tried to remove Crenshaw from his panel, but that Johnson allowed Crenshaw to retain his seat.
