Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw was overwhelming rejected by voters on March 3 in his state’s Republican primary. Crenshaw — whose notably conservative opponent, state Rep. Steve Toth, handily secured over 57% of the total vote — has apparently decided to blame voters for his defeat, claiming that they were misled and failed to come out in sufficient numbers.

CBS News’ Margaret Brennan, the liberal talking head who suggested last year that free speech was responsible for the Holocaust, asked Crenshaw on Sunday to unpack his concerns “about this culture of misinformation we’re living in.”

‘In Crenshaw’s case, the problem wasn’t misinformation, but repeated exposure to information.’

Crenshaw, who previously blamed the loss on his branding as “Red Flag Law Crenshaw” and allegations of insider trading, told Brennan, “I’m a unique Republican. You know, I’ve been the target of online smears and conspiracies for a very long time. My election was basically a product of that.”

“First of all, you have about 20% of Republican voters bothering to even vote at a primary, and then you have dozens of online smears and conspiracies that people were going into the voting booth actually believing,” continued Crenshaw. “I mean, believing that I was worth millions of dollars from insider trading. Doesn’t matter how many times we thought we had debunked that, or that other people and influencers and what have not have debunked it, all of these things, people still went in believing it.”

Crenshaw said that “ultimately, this is a question for the American people: Are you going to believe everything you read online or that’s sent to you in your mail?”

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Crenshaw previously told the Texas Tribune, “A large part of this election was about the power of clickbait.”

“Memes became truth. Too many people are not discerning through the clickbait,” continued Crenshaw. “People voting — one after the other — literally thought I was making millions in the stock market doing inside trading. Even though I haven’t made a trade in three years. I’ve made under $46,000 over my entire seven years in office. The truth didn’t matter to people.”

Crenshaw, faulted by some critics over his insistence that President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and his Jan. 6 commentary, told the paper that “telling the truth thing” is regarded as “a real crime” among some voters.

Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz said in response to Crenshaw’s remarks to Brennan, “Dan Crenshaw begins to audition for a left-leaning TV commentary gig following his blow out loss.”

Wade Miller, executive director of the Center for Renewing America, wrote, “I think in Crenshaw’s case, the problem wasn’t misinformation, but repeated exposure to information and Dan’s own condescending attitude.”

Ben Larrabee, a data analyst with Turning Point Action’s Chase the Vote initiative, said that contrary to Crenshaw’s framing, the reason the congressman lost was that in 2018 and in 2020, “His district had a CPV of R+11, so it was redistricted to an R+15. And as Crenshaw’s voting record worsened over time, his new conservative base started voting for a more conservative representative. Ain’t more complicated than that.”

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