Intel Officials Dispute Report at Heart of Democratic Attack on Crenshaw
'It is clear as day that the Democrats are trying to boost my primary opponent'
Support independent journalism, $5/month, $50/year.
WASHINGTON — Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) is coming under fire from political opponents as he heads into a heated primary, with Democrats boosting his primary challenger and amplifying damaging press coverage over an August trip to Mexico that multiple senior intelligence officials and congressional leadership sources now say has been mischaracterized.
At the center of the controversy is a report claiming CIA officials sent a cable to agency headquarters alarmed at Crenshaw’s behavior, raising concerns about unprofessional conduct linked to drinking and decorum during a congressional delegation meeting with Mexican officials. Four sources in the intelligence community and Congress, including senior intelligence officials, sources familiar with the cable, and a source familiar with the matter on Capitol Hill, are now disputing key elements of that account.
Crenshaw was not mincing words about who he holds responsible. “I’m just happy that this vicious deep state lie has finally been debunked,” he said. “This is more than just a slander against me. It is a betrayal of our national security where someone was willing to lie or possibly even fabricate a classified CIA document. Jake Sherman either lied about it, or he was lied to. Which is it? The public deserves to know.”
Democrat challenger Sean Finney launched a $300,000 ad buy over the Mexico trip as part of a broader $800,000 spending push by Democrats to attack Crenshaw. In the ad, Finney says the reports raise “serious questions” about Crenshaw’s “professionalism and his ability to serve” and pledges to offer “cold, sober professional leadership.”
The strategy is aimed at taking out one of the House’s most prominent Republicans before he ever faces a Democrat on the ballot. The ads have amplified reporting that intelligence officials now say was inaccurate.
“At an event Tuesday, Shaun told me directly he’d rather face my primary opponent Steve Toth. It is clear as day that the Democrats are trying to boost my primary opponent,” Crenshaw said. “It’s as if the Democrats are working hand in hand with my Republican primary opponent, Steve Toth.”
Senior intelligence officials disputed that the incident ever rose to the level of an international incident. “What is false about it is the idea that this was some international incident,” one senior intelligence official told 24Sight News. The same official confirmed there was “no communication between the [CIA] director [John Ratcliffe] and the speaker about it as an issue.”
Leadership sources also confirmed that the Speaker never received calls from the ambassador or the CIA director about the trip.
One senior intelligence official familiar with the cable’s contents said the document contained no mention of drinking or description of misconduct alleged against the Texas Republican.
“It’s just sort of reporting — hey, this is what happened in our AOR. We had a congressional delegation show up and they had a meeting,” the source told 24Sight News.
Multiple sources stated that the cable reflected standard operating procedure following congressional foreign travel, documenting who was met with, what was discussed, and noting the meeting was somewhat tense around discussions of Mexico’s need for American support.
“Having knowledge of what the cable actually said versus what was reported, they are very different,” the source added.
Punchbowl News, which first reported the story, cited multiple sources in the administration, intelligence community and on Capitol Hill. Sherman declined to comment.
Crenshaw acknowledged the August meeting included a toast with crude language but said the context matters.
“As is often the case in Mexico, military officials offer a toast at the end of each meeting. It’s a way for military guys to bond. It’s diplomacy. It’s my job to maintain those good relations so that we can combat our mutual enemy: the cartels,” he told 24Sight News.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) weighed in on Crenshaw’s behalf.
“Dan Crenshaw has always been and still is our point man in Congress when it comes to addressing the threat of the drug cartels. His insights and expertise in these and other matters regarding intelligence and national security are invaluable,” he said in a statement. “As a former Navy SEAL, he has earned his large platform. Despite recent media attacks by his political opponents, we know Dan, we stand by his record, and we have full confidence he will continue to deliver results.”
YouTube | Bluesky | TikTok | X (when necessary) | The OG, Substack
News that gets through in DC, VA, PA
Sponsors of 24sight News get in front of our highly engaged audience of decisionmakers, professionals, thought leaders, national media and more. Top readers include heavy engagement in Northern Virginia, the suburbs of Philly and Pittsburgh and Capitol Hill.
Get in touch to discuss sponsorship options: sales@24sight.news.