GOP Congressman Blasted for His Mansplaining and Condescending Remarks to a Lifelong National Security Expert

Freshman U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) has been on the job for less than a month and already he’s in hot water.

Crenshaw posted a remarkably condescending tweet mansplaining to a lifelong national security expert, who happens to be a woman, suggesting he could help teach her a thing or two about border security.

Juliette Kayyem is a John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard professor, a national security analyst for CNN, and serves on the Council on Foreign Relations. She has served on Secretary Jeh Johnson’s Homeland Security Advisory Council, and if that weren’t enough, she was the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Intergovernmental Affairs.

In the 1990’s she worked at the Dept. of Justice and served as an advisor to Attorney General Janet Reno. She was appointed to the the National Commission on Terrorism, and was Massachusetts’ first Undersecretary for Homeland Security.

Kayyem has also written a book on homeland security for homeowners and was a columnist writing about national security for the Boston Globe.

Rep. Crenshaw was a Navy Seal.

On Thursday Kayyem responded to a CNN reporter announcing the Border Patrol had “made the largest seizure of fentanyl in the agency’s history,” by reminding Twitter users that the seizure of the fentanyl was made “at the PORT OF ENTRY,” which she repeated several times, suggesting a wall would do nothing to stop the illegal drug from entering the U.S.

They seized this fentanyl at the PORT OF ENTRY.
At the PORT OF ENTRY.
PORT OF ENTRY.
(am I being too subtle). #wall https://t.co/FEj4eSgAEp

— Juliette Kayyem (@juliettekayyem) January 31, 2019

Congressman Crenshaw apparently saw an opportunity to condescendingly school the former Homeland Security Assistant Secretary, while bragging that he was “in a vehicle with CBP at the border.”

And by the way, as I type this, I am in a vehicle with CBP at the border. Happy to put you on the phone with them so you can learn more about this and properly inform your students.

— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) February 1, 2019

His mansplaining did not sit well with many on the social media platform.

Take a look:

Oh man, this will not end well for you. Condescending and mansplaining to @juliettekayyem? No sir. https://t.co/1YfW8bSnkY

— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) February 1, 2019

Pretty disappointing to see a congressman who has served less than one month in office—recently lauded for his pleas on civility—be so rude and dismissive to a former Assistant Secretary of DHS. https://t.co/haibDv5nNi

— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) February 1, 2019

Dear @DanCrenshawTX: Here is the official press release from US Customs and Border Protection. You may want to read it. The fentanyl was seized at the Nogales legal checkpoint / port of entry following an alert by a CPB narcotics detection canine. https://t.co/80bLlwxX3Z https://t.co/wso6v3NWw7

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) February 1, 2019

When this guy is held up as the future of the Republican Party, there’s something seriously wrong. Going after @juliettekayyem on security issues is monumentally stupid. https://t.co/YnZA5pp2to

— Nate Watkins (@NateWatkins) February 1, 2019

Oh boy. Do you know who you’re speaking to?

Not sure the GOP will ever be able to close their gender gap. This is how the “good” ones behave.

— J (@MsEnergyHealer) February 1, 2019

Wow, mansplaining to a national security expert is a bad look, especially since you added nada (nothing) to the convo. Now explain how a wall is going to help prevent drugs getting through PORTS OF ENTRY. As that’s the point, man with no point.

— Sommer Berg (@woodnymph79) February 1, 2019

They were seized at the port of entry. Stop mansplaining. And grow the hell up.

— JustLetMeFinish (@JustLetMeFinish) February 1, 2019

mansplaining the border. christ what an asshole.

— John Doe (@Lordofmisrule79) February 1, 2019

Wow! You can see Mexico from your vehicle!! You totes must be an expert on this https://t.co/g24RYuuDiH

— Cliff Schecter (@cliffschecter) February 1, 2019

Here’s Dan Crenshaw continuing to be the sanctimonious asshole he always was.

His little “outrage/make-up” session with S&L was garbage and see-through, just like he continues to be.

He served and was wounded…but that doesn’t change that he’s still an asshole. https://t.co/CR5VWoRciS

— Ahphuqueue (@ahphukket) February 1, 2019

That’s nice that you took one trip to the border, Dan. Juliette has been working on these issues at a senior level, for years.

I guess that whole “nice guy” schtick was just that, schtick. Only took you one month to show your true colors. https://t.co/217rCVCqVk

— John Aravosis 🇺🇸 (@aravosis) February 1, 2019

LOL you clearly have no idea who you are mansplaining right now.

— Erin Cohan (@erincohan) February 1, 2019

ah, yes. Mr. Civility Dan Crenshaw, always polite, always willing to listen, except when anyone challenges him with actual facts.

You’re slamming a former DHS official for telling you the truth about something you’re hyping, you MAGA chud. https://t.co/GWRvH2Cxm9

— snipy (@snipy) February 1, 2019

Really? At this time, in this environment, to THIS woman? An apology from and an appearance on SNL doesn’t give you a free pass to belittle women. Tin ear, wrong foot. Sorry, but you’re misinterpreting the zeitgeist. Get over yourself.

— Fran Farrell-Bergeron (@bergero_fran) February 1, 2019

it’s been disappointing to see you choose to do the ‘firebrand’ persona but frequently fail to show that you did your homework on the issues. We, the people of TX 2nd CD, deserve better than the effort you’re putting in; be quiet, put your head down, do your homework, then speak.

— Ray Thompson (@rathompson01) February 1, 2019

Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license