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The next is the transcript of the interview with Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Republican of Texas, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on March 15, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to Texas Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw, who joins us from Houston. Welcome again to Face the Nation. You in a earlier life have been a Navy SEAL. So simply to faucet into your experience just a little bit right here, once you see that President Trump is deploying a couple of thousand extra Marines in an expeditionary unit to affix the 50,000 forces we’ve there, what does that sign to you?
REP. DAN CRENSHAW: I feel it indicators that there is a seriousness of supporting no matter contingency operations is likely to be wanted. I do not suppose it- Folks ought to take that as a boots on the bottom deployment, particularly with solely 5,000 troops. These sort of items are- are, you know- they could possibly be for evacuating Americans out of Gulf allied nations. They could possibly be for numerous issues. So, I take it as a seriousness of committing to the state of affairs, which is strictly what is required. If you are going to do that, which we’ve executed, you might want to see it by means of. That is what I might be advising the president. I might be advising the president to take very critically the Straits of Hormuz. That is one thing we observe on a yearly foundation. For this reason he is requested allies to return to our help, to guard it, as a result of we observe this as an train yearly with 30 plus nations. So, I feel he is doing what’s wanted.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, Secretary Hegseth mentioned earlier this month, Operation Epic Fury would have, quote, no silly guidelines of engagement. Two days later, he mentioned, we’re punching them whereas they’re down, which is strictly the way it ought to be. This Friday, he mentioned, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies. You have served in uniform. Do you may have any concern that this sort of language is sending the improper message to our troops who’re certain by requirements of proportionality or that it may backfire on our troops?
REP. CRENSHAW: No, for those who fought in these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, you would be nicely acquainted with unhealthy guidelines of engagement. the type of factor that claims, look, you’ll be able to’t shoot until you are shot at. What he is saying is that we’re focusing on Iranian army with out quarter. That is what he is saying. He is making it very clear for our army, which is, which is a readability that our army has lacked in lots of of those conflicts previously.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So despite the fact that there aren’t any floor troops at this level, you suppose that this is–
REP. CRENSHAW: –I can not–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Are you able to hear me?
REP. CRENSHAW: I can.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so you do not take that as sending the improper sign to our troops in any way or that it may inflame enemies who, if there are ever floor troops or a downed air pilot, for instance, that they’d be mistreated?
REP. CRENSHAW: No, no, completely not. The foundations of engagement will probably be very clear and in place and in writing for our troops. He’s saying that to the American individuals, proper? So there’s, there’s- there’s army language that our troops abide by, which will probably be very clear. I do not suppose it sends any improper message. I feel it is, I feel it sends precisely the appropriate message. Once more, it, my expertise within the army. I do know what which means.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, the final time you have been with us, we spoke about- you felt the necessity for ethical readability. That was a phrase you used for some inside your individual occasion, particularly round antisemitism on this nation. I wish to learn for you a couple of issues that some Republican lawmakers mentioned this week. Andy Ogles of Tennessee mentioned America is a product of English Christian tradition. Muslims do not belong in American society. Florida’s Randy Effective mentioned we want extra Islamophobia, not much less. Concern of Islam is rational. And Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama posted an image of the 9/11 assault subsequent to the New York Metropolis mayor at dinner breaking his quick at Ramadan with the phrase the enemy is contained in the gates. What do you consider this language, and may Republican leaders converse up about it?
REP. CRENSHAW: I nonetheless suppose it is pretty fringe. I imply, the reality of the matter is, radical Islamism is unhealthy, proper? We have all the time recognized that. That ought to not be- that shouldn’t be a controversial assertion in any respect. There are many peaceable Muslims–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –However that is not what they mentioned.–
REP. CRENSHAW: — who dwell amongst us– I understand that. However, you realize, that is not a mainstream- that is not a mainstream narrative by any stretch. I feel making an attempt to struggle it internally will in all probability offers it extra, much more air than is critical. We have seen that to be the case as you realize, there’s- there’s- there’s- there is a Republican battle ongoing proper now over Israel and the antisemitism points, and so, you realize, one may make the argument that talking out towards it has solely infected it. So, look, I nonetheless suppose that is very fringe. I do not suppose that’s- that is definitely not the administration’s place. And like, we will go after radical Islam, that is why we have to fund businesses like DHS, and that is what we will do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You spoke about this tradition of misinformation we’re residing in, and also you pointed to that as one of many components in your latest main loss. What lessons- classes ought to different Republicans take from that? What do you imply?
REP. CRENSHAW: Effectively, I imply, I am a novel Republican, you realize, I have been the goal of on-line smears and conspiracies for a really very long time. My election was principally a product of that. , to start with, you may have about 20% of Republican voters bothering to even vote at a main, after which you may have dozens of on-line smears and conspiracies that individuals have been going into the voting sales space really believing, I imply, believing that I used to be price millions- believing that was price tens of millions of {dollars} from insider buying and selling. Would not matter what number of instances we thought we had debunked that, or that- or that -or that different individuals and influencers and what haven’t have debunked it, all of these items, individuals nonetheless went in believing it. And so the lesson to be discovered is like, you have to get the reality out. You have to attempt. However finally, this can be a query for the American individuals. Are you going to consider every thing you learn on-line or that is despatched to you in your mail? I imply, Democrats spent virtually 1,000,000 {dollars} additionally pushing these smears on tv. So Republican voters are going to vote- the voting sales space believing what a Democrat instructed them on TV based mostly on a smear headline written by a liberal reporter in DC. So that is the lesson, and it is not only for Republican politicians. It is the lesson for Republican voters.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Misinformation. Congressman, we respect your time at this time. We’ll be proper again.
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