Dan Crenshaw roasted after attacking Sanders’ call for veteran care
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Dan Crenshaw roasted after attacking Sanders’ call for veteran care

‘A veteran refusing to help veterans to own the libs.’

Gage Skidmore/Flickr (CC-BY-SA)

David Gilmour—

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) came under fire on Twitter on Tuesday after blasting 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for commenting, as Sanders often does, on veteran’s issues.

Crenshaw, himself a former Navy SEAL, took “personal” issue with the Vermont independent’s demand that a government which sends soldiers to war should provide veteran welfare support.

And that a government that struggles to take of veterans—as the U.S. does—shouldn’t go to war elsewhere. 

The Texas congressman went on to imply Sanders’ policy position was just part of a cynical election ploy to “pander to different groups.”

Twitterati across the political left and right were confused by Crenshaw’s extraordinary tweet—a “veteran refusing to help veterans to own the libs” as one user put it.

What makes Crenshaw’s angle even stranger is that he’s attacking Sanders, who sits on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and has been an outspoken advocate for veteran welfare throughout his political career. During his current presidential bid, in debates and interviews, he has repeatedly underlined his commitment to veterans.

“As a nation,” Sanders’ campaign website reads, “we have a moral obligation to provide the best quality care to those who have put their lives on the line to defend us.”

If there’s one policy stance that enjoys widespread bipartisan support, it’s veteran affairs. Someone should tell Crenshaw that’s not pandering. 

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David Gilmour

David Gilmour

David Gilmour is a reporter who specializes in national politics, internet culture, and technology.

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