Texans Give Boot To Dan Crenshaw In Major Upset
Crenshaw was caught on video saying he would kill Tucker Carlson
Tuesday’s must-watch primaries: The races that will determine if America First takes over in 2026
Voters in three states head to the polls on Tuesday, March 3, in the first major test of whether the America First movement will dominate the 2026 midterms, as several prominent Republican incumbents face key primary challenges.
'I just haven't made a decision on that race yet.'
Texas
The highest-profile race Tuesday is arguably the Senate primary matchup between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Rep. Wesley Hunt, and several other Republican candidates.
It is the most costly Senate primary race in history, with over $122 million spent. Cornyn, who was first elected in 2002, accounts for over 57% of total spending, with $69 million in ad buying by his campaign and outside groups. Total ad buy in support of Hunt is $12 million; for Paxton, $4.1 million.
Paxton has accused Cornyn of betraying Trump and the America First movement.
“I’m running to beat Fake Republican John Cornyn. The race is a DEAD HEAT,” Paxton said on Monday as part of an effort to encourage his conservative supporters to contribute to his campaign.
Cornyn warned Texans not to vote for Paxton.
“Ken Paxton will be the kiss of death for Republicans on the ticket in November of 2026,” Cornyn said in February.
"I think the attorney general, if he's the nominee, could very well lose the seat," he continued. "But if he doesn't lose the seat, he's not going to win except by the hair of his chin. And unfortunately, that will not help the down-ballot races."
President Donald Trump has not endorsed any candidates in the Texas Senate GOP primary race.
"I just haven't made a decision on that race yet," Trump told reporters in February.
"I like all three of them," Trump said, referring to Cornyn, Paxton, and Hunt. "Actually, I like all three. Those are the toughest races. They've all supported me. They're all good, and you're supposed to pick one, so we'll see what happens."
Also seeking to take over Cornyn's seat, on the Democrat side, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett is facing off against state Rep. James Talarico. Total ad spending in support of Crockett reaches roughly $4.5 million, with $20.8 million for Talarico.
A poll from the University of Texas at Tyler showed Crockett, who received an endorsement from former Vice President Kamala Harris last week, with a double-digit lead over Talarico.
“Heading into Election Day, especially with multiple polls showing me ahead," Crockett told her supporters, "I want you to be ready to tune out the noise, the falsehoods, and the onslaught of attacks from D.C. insiders, the Epstein class, and all those who benefit from the status quo.”
RELATED: Cardi B and Kamala Harris endorse Jasmine Crockett for pivotal US Senate race in Texas: 'Okurrr'
With Paxton running in the Senate election, multiple Republicans have thrown their hats into the ring to become the state's next attorney general, including Rep. Chip Roy, attorney Aaron Reitz, and state Senators Mayes Middleton and Joan Huffman.
Texas voters will also select their nominee in the gubernatorial primary election, with the general election scheduled for November 3. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is seeking a fourth term and faces several challengers.
There are also 38 U.S. congressional seats in Texas up for grabs in Tuesday's election.
Incumbent Rep. Tony Gonzales is up for re-election amid a political crisis over a scandal involving a former staffer who died by suicide. Gonzales is set to have a rematch against Brandon Herrera, a firearms influencer who nearly beat Gonzales in a 2024 runoff.
Incumbent Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R), elected to the House in 2018, is the only Texas Republican incumbent who has not received Trump's endorsement this election cycle. He is facing competition from three Republican candidates: attorney Martin Etwop, Army veteran Nicholas Plumb, and state Rep. Steve Toth.
Polling in Texas opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 7:00 p.m local time. Voting in the Republican or Democrat primary does not require party affiliation. However, voters who choose to participate in one party's primary will be affiliated with that party for the rest of 2026. This affiliation will prevent those voters from casting ballots in the other party's runoff election.
If no candidate secures more than 50% of the primary vote, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff election on May 26.
North Carolina
In June, Sen. Thom Tillis (R) announced his retirement, prompting a dozen candidates, including six Republicans and six Democrats, to run for his seat. Former Republican Party Chair Michael Whatley, who secured Trump's endorsement, is the most prominent name on the GOP side. Former Gov. Roy Cooper is leading the Democrat primary election.
North Carolina voters will also cast their ballots to select 14 candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. local time. The state holds partially closed elections, in which voters can select only their party's ballots. Unaffiliated voters may choose a Republican or Democratic ballot, but they cannot vote in more than one primary.
In North Carolina, a runoff election is triggered when the second-place candidate requests it, but this applies only in primaries where the first-place candidate receives 30% or less of the vote. The state's potential runoffs would be held on May 12.
Arkansas
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) is up for re-election. While she is running unopposed in the Republican primary, Democrats have a contested primary on Tuesday to choose who will face Sanders. Democrats will decide between state Sen. Fredrick Love and businesswoman Supha Xayprasith-Mays. Libertarian Party candidate Colt Shelby will be on the ballot in the general election on November 3.
Incumbent Sen. Tom Cotton (R), who took office in 2015, is competing to retain his seat against two Republican candidates: Pastor Micah Ashby and Arkansas State Police Trooper Jeb Little.
RELATED: 3 contentious Texas primaries that hang in the balance
All of Arkansas' four U.S. House districts are holding primary elections on Tuesday.
Arkansas' polling sites will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. local time. The state conducts open primaries, allowing voters to select either a Republican or Democratic ballot at the polls without registering with the chosen party.
The state's runoff elections are triggered if no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote. These runoff elections would be held on March 31.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
'This is a must-win': These 4 Republicans voted against banning trans surgeries on children
The House GOP passed a bill outright banning transgender surgeries for minors, yet some Republicans still objected.
Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's bill Protect Children's Innocence Act passed in a 216-211 late-night vote on Wednesday. This legislation would make it a felony to perform sex changes or provide puberty blockers and hormone therapy to children.
'I wish that Republicans were as hell-bent on protecting children as Democrats are when it comes to mutilating them.'
Although the bill was passed largely along party lines, both Democrats and Republicans had some defectors.
On the Republican side, Reps. Mike Lawler of New York, Mike Kennedy of Utah, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Gabe Evans of Colorado voted against criminalizing transgender surgeries for children. Only three Democrats voted in favor of Greene's bill: Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Donald Davis of North Carolina, and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas.
RELATED: 'Send in the next guy': Nicki Minaj savages Newsom over his desire to 'see trans kids'
Greene's legislation is one of two GOP-led bills on the docket targeting transgender interventions for minors. Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, outlined the key differences between Greene's Protect Children's Innocence Act and Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw's bill the Do No Harm in Medicaid Act.
"It's necessary because it bans the procedure outright," Schilling said of Greene's bill. "We need this nationwide, because children in California should be protected from these procedures just as much as the kids in Texas or Oklahoma or Alabama or Mississippi or Florida."
"If we can't get the full ban done, we should at least make sure the taxpayers aren't paying for it, right?" Schilling said of Crenshaw's bill. "If you want a sex-change procedure, you should have to pay for it yourself. These are so expensive. They're so harmful to the individual. Why are you making us participate in this?"
Both bills are useful because they force lawmakers to go on the record, articulating their degree of support for transgender ideology. Greene's bill saw near unanimous support from Republicans as well as near unanimous condemnation from Democrats. Crenshaw's bill puts forward a softer legislative approach, leaving room for moderates on either side to clarify their views on transgender interventions for children.
"I wish that Republicans were as hell-bent on protecting children as Democrats are when it comes to mutilating them," Schilling told Blaze News. "There's a difference between the two parties and how fired up they are when it comes to their principles. I think not giving kids sex changes is so commonsense. But these guys will figure out a way to make it controversial and debatable."
"If Republicans can't deliver on these things, or at least show that they're trying to deliver, voters are going to give up on us morally, financially, and politically," Schilling added. "This is a must-win for Republicans."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
The Republican Party won’t be saved by excuses
Texas conservatives have long trusted the Republican Party to stand firm on core values: secure borders, parental rights, the Second Amendment, and limited government. We’ve delivered them power in Austin. But too many GOP lawmakers now serve corporate donors and media elites — not the grassroots conservatives who put them in office.
Texas may be a red state, but the last legislative session told a different story. Thirty-six Republican state lawmakers joined Democrats on critical votes that gutted conservative priorities. They campaign as fighters and govern as cowards — folding at the first whiff of media pressure or lobbyist resistance. That’s not leadership. That’s betrayal.
When Texas Republicans falter, they don’t just fail their state — they fail the country.
Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star generates headlines, but the border remains wide open. Despite the efforts of the Trump administration, cartels continue to move drugs and people freely across Texas soil. Ranchers continue to live in fear. Families bury loved ones lost to fentanyl. Texans demand action, but Austin delivers press releases.
Yes, regardless of the federal government’s efforts — and the Trump administration is certainly a refreshing change from Joe Biden —Texas has the constitutional authority to act. Where’s the declaration of invasion? Where’s the full mobilization? Leadership doesn’t mean deploying troops for photo ops. It means taking responsibility and enforcing the law.
It isn’t ‘culture war nonsense’
Parents across Texas want transparency. They want to know what their kids are learning, reading, and hearing in school — especially on issues of sex and gender. Some lawmakers have stepped up. Too many haven’t. They call it “culture war nonsense” while siding with school boards and bureaucrats who treat parents as threats.
Legislators who can’t stop minors from receiving irreversible medical procedures without parental consent don’t belong in conservative office. That’s not compromise. That’s surrender.
Don’t dismiss the Second Amendment
After every shooting, moderate Republicans float “reasonable restrictions.” But the Constitution doesn’t hedge. It says “shall not be infringed.”
Texans don’t want red-flag laws. They want their rights respected. When figures like Rep. Dan Crenshaw entertain policies that chip away at due process, they don’t look pragmatic. They look weak. If you won’t defend gun rights without apology, step aside.
Meme bills and muzzled dissent
Texas Republicans now flirt with speech regulation. One bill would have required registration for anonymous political memes — all in the name of fighting “disinformation.” That’s not governance. That’s control.
Conservatives believe in protecting anonymous speech because we remember what it’s for: dissent. Critique. Satire. These aren’t bugs in the system — they’re essential features. If Austin lawmakers wants to mirror D.C.'s, voters will start treating them the same way.
Contempt for the base
The real issue isn’t just policy. It’s culture. The GOP establishment in Austin feels more at home with lobbyists than with the voters who knock doors and fund their campaigns. Primary challengers get dismissed as “fringe,” even as the grassroots base grows louder — and angrier.
RELATED: Red state, blue ballot: Dems use direct democracy to flip states
Calls for term limits are rising. The appetite for bold reform is real. If Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) can deliver conservative wins in Florida, why can’t Texas? Why are we still making excuses?
This isn’t just about Texas
Texas shapes the national Republican Party. It drives presidential races and defines what the GOP stands for. When Texas Republicans falter, they don’t just fail their state — they fail the country.
As state Rep. Brian Harrison has shown, the last legislative session exposed serious cracks in the GOP foundation. Conservatives must respond: organize locally, show up at the Capitol, primary the cowards. An “R” isn’t a free pass. If you govern like a Democrat, expect to be treated like one.
Secure the border. Empower parents. Protect the Second Amendment. Defend free speech. Or get out of the way.
Texas doesn’t need more Republicans. It needs better ones.
Glenn Beck REACTS to Dan Crenshaw threatening Tucker Carlson
In case you missed it, Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R) was caught on a hot mic telling BG News reporter Steven Edginton that he would kill conservative pundit Tucker Carlson if he ever crossed paths with him.
“If I ever meet him, I’ll f**king kill him,” he said.
When Edginton laughed off the statement as a joke, Crenshaw doubled down, reiterating his desire to kill Tucker.
When backlash sparked, Crenshaw played his spiteful statements off as a joke. To Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R), who asked him on X if he had just threatened her friend, Crenshaw insolently retorted, “lol, no.”
— (@)
Glenn Beck says Crenshaw’s threat, be it legitimate or hyperbolic, is unacceptable and warrants consequences.
“That's not something I want to hear from a former Navy SEAL” — someone who “knows how to kill people,” he says. Crenshaw’s threat “is not just reckless; it's obscene for a guy like that to wield those words so casually.”
“I suggest we don’t brush this off,” Glenn continues, adding that “it's not about parties or party lines; it's about a congressman threatening to murder a private citizen who's just asking questions.”
In addition to his unhinged threat against Tucker, Crenshaw is also a neocon.
“He’s a big-state advocate; he's a war hawk; he's a player in the globalist agenda, like the World Economic Forum and ESG policies,” says Glenn.
“His voting record clashes with the limited government ideals that conservatives actually hold dear. He's a defender of the national security state, backing surveillance and military overreach every time,” he continues, noting that “in 2021, [Crenshaw] opposed the warrant requirement for government access to data — your data,” and “in 2020, he co-sponsored a carbon tax bill.”
“I think we need to demand accountability. I think you should send a letter in to your congressman and the House Ethics Committee. I think they should probe this threat,” especially considering that Crenshaw is up for re-election next year, says Glenn.
To hear more of his commentary, watch the clip above.
Want more from Glenn Beck?
To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Watch: Alex Stein BRUTALLY TROLLS Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw — ‘Such a little loser!’
Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R), who is currently under fire for apparently threatening to kill Tucker Carlson, was recently paid a visit by BlazeTV host and king of trolls Alex Stein.
Crenshaw, or “Eye-Patch McCain,” as Tucker likes to call him, was none too pleased with Alex’s public confrontation. His reaction to being called out on his globalist agenda, weak conservative values, and uniparty politics can only be described as unhinged.
“Dan, you’re just such a little loser,” said Alex, following Crenshaw down the street.
Crenshaw then lunged forward to slap the camera.
“Look, you’re too slow!” laughed Alex, before making fun of Crenshaw for being smaller than him.
“You’re a sad little boy,” Alex said.
A heated exchange then commenced in which Alex accused Crenshaw of “giving more money to Ukraine” when “we have so many issues here in America,” especially “an invasion at our border.”
“You’re disgusting!” said a ruffled Crenshaw.
“He cares more about Ukraine than he does about America, so you're a globalist. Why don't you take care of America? You don't care. That's your problem, Dan — you don't care about America; you don't care about Texas,” Alex fired back, continuing to follow Crenshaw down the street.
“You’re a globalist; you’re a traitor; you’re a dwarf,” Alex said, when Crenshaw refused to address any of the legitimate issues he brought up.
And that’s when the Capitol Police stepped in.
To see the footage, watch the clip above.
Want more from Alex Stein?
To enjoy more of Alex's culture jamming, comedic monologues, skits, and street segments, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Dan Crenshaw brushes off apparent death threat as 'hyperbole' as ethics complaint looms
A conservative watchdog group filed an ethics complaint Tuesday against Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R) over his apparent suggestion that he would kill Tucker Carlson should the two ever meet in person — something Crenshaw claims was clearly "hyperbole."
The American Accountability Foundation indicated Tuesday that it penned a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives' Office of Congressional Ethics requesting an immediate investigation into Crenshaw's remarks. According to the watchdog group, which is led by a former legislative director of Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Crenshaw may have violated House rules by engaging in conduct unbecoming of a member of Congress.
Blaze News previously reported that GB News' Steven Edginton interviewed Crenshaw at the 2025 Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in Britain last week, asking the congressman about American global leadership, the "neocon" label often applied to him, and the war in Ukraine.
When Edginton mentioned Tucker Carlson's criticism of American aid to Ukraine, Crenshaw declared, "Tucker doesn't know what he's talking about."
'No, seriously, I would kill him.'
After the interview, Edginton casually asked Crenshaw with the camera still rolling, "Have you ever met Tucker?"
In footage that did not originally air on GB News but went viral Monday on social media, Crenshaw seemingly responded, "We've talked a lot on Twitter. If I ever meet him, I'll f**king kill him."
Edginton, who indicated that the footage was genuine, suggested on X that when he laughed off the remark, Crenshaw doubled down, stating, "No, seriously, I would kill him."
When later asked on X by Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) whether he threatened to kill Carlson, Crenshaw wrote, "lol, no."
The AAF suggested that a failure to sanction Crenshaw over his apparent threat of a member of the press would "send a message to Members that they are free to threaten reporters they disagree with and more importantly send a message to reporters that they need to worry for their safety when they report on Members of Congress."
'I have absolutely no desire to harm him.'
"There is no reasonable construction of creditable behavior which includes threating [sic] innocent journalists simply for disagreeing with a Member," the AAF noted in its complaint.
"As Representative Crenshaw frequently points out, he is a former Navy SEAL, so one should reasonably assume that his threats to kill someone should be taken seriously, since he has received significant military training in the application of lethal force," added the AAF.
When pressed for comment, a spokesman for Crenshaw directed Blaze News to the congressman's Wednesday KRIV-TV interview, where Crenshaw stated, "I caught that video myself after I saw all the outrage online, and I have got say, that's the lamest 'death threat' that I've ever seen. I think it's pretty clear that is a non-literal turn of phrase."
"I think anyone seriously watching and being honest with themselves knows that was hyperbole, said in private, and no, Tucker has nothing to worry about. I have absolutely no desire to harm him," added Crenshaw.
The congressman told KRIV that he will not accept Carlson's invitation to sit down for an interview, noting, "I don't want to be in the same room with him."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Dan Crenshaw appears to threaten Tucker Carlson's life on hot mic, prompting civilized response
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) was apparently caught on a hot mic last week threatening to kill Tucker Carlson. When confronted online by peers and critics about his remark, footage of which went viral Monday, the congressman suggested that he had said no such thing.
Crenshaw attended the 2025 Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in Britain, which ran from Feb. 17 to 19. At the conference, he sat down for an interview with GB News' Steven Edginton to discuss American global leadership, the "neocon" label often applied to him, and the war in Ukraine.
Toward the end of the interview, Edginton referred to the hundreds of billions of dollars the U.S. has given to Ukraine, then said, "I know that people like Tucker Carlson would make the argument that there's a real opportunity cost there. You know, we could have spent that money on the border or fixing, you know, issues in America."
When asked whether the money provided to Ukraine might have been better spent helping Americans, Crenshaw said, "You can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time. ... We spend 75%, 80% of our budget on a welfare state in America — on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. I would love to ask Tucker what he thinks that $100 billion should be spent on, if he would vote for it as a conservative."
'I wonder who he will threaten to kill next?'
"Tucker doesn't know what he's talking about," continued Crenshaw. "Tucker likes to visit Moscow and talk about how great the grocery stores are, so I don't really take his advice very seriously."
Additional footage has appeared online showing Edginton asking Crenshaw after the interview, "Have you ever met Tucker?"
"We've talked a lot on Twitter. If I ever meet him, I'll f**king kill him," the congressman seemingly answered.
Edginton indicated on X that when he laughed off the remark, Crenshaw doubled down, stating, "No, seriously, I would kill him."
The video of Crenshaw's apparent threat went viral Monday, prompting significant backlash.
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R), for instance, asked Crenshaw, "Did you threaten to kill my friend @TuckerCarlson?"
Crenshaw responded, "lol, no."
'I'll send you my address.'
The congressman's denial prompted more criticism and scrutiny, as well as a community notes clarification on X.
Federalist CEO Sean Davis noted, "You know there's a video of you saying otherwise, right?"
Turning Point USA journalist Savanah Hernandez cited Crenshaw's denial as a prime example of "how carelessly our politicians lie to us."
Podcaster Shawn Ryan asked, "I wonder who he will threaten to kill next? Has anyone checked on Tucker?"
Elon Musk posed the question, "Why is Crenshaw homicidal regarding Tucker?"
Tucker Carlson evidently took the threat in stride. Responding to Musk's question, Carlson extended an interview request to Crenshaw.
"Why don't you come sit for an interview and we'll see how you do?" wrote Carlson. "I'll send you my address."
Crenshaw and Carlson have long had an antagonistic long-distance relationship.
The congressman, who is running for re-election next year, has characterized Carlson as a "know-nothing elitist," a "click-chaser," and a "mindless" contrarian who seeks to "defend America's enemies" and "sow doubt and paranoia and false narratives."
Carlson, on the other hand, has called Crenshaw "eye patch McCain" — a "neocon" who engages in "Soviet-style politics" and attacks "moms who are worried about baby formula as pro-Russia." Carlson has also suggested that Crenshaw is a liberal Republican who should be "bagging groceries at Walmart" and a "liar."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Today's top stories
www.theblaze.com