68 Time November 25, 2019
ASCENDANT
CONSERVATIVE
DAN CRENSHAW | 35
Dan Crenshaw is one version of
what the Republican Party might
look like after Donald Trump. A
decorated Navy SEAL who lost
his eye in Afghanistan, Crenshaw
was one of just a handful of
millennial Republicans elected
to Congress in 2018, a year that
saw record youth momentum on
the Democratic side. In his first
year in office, Crenshaw has built
a sizable social-media following—
including more than 1 million
Twitter followers—as the right’s
leading warrior against what he
calls “outrage culture.” Crenshaw’s
path is one preferred by many
young conservatives: he defends
the President’s policies on issues
from taxes to immigration—he
even live-streamed his ride-along
with Border Patrol on Instagram—
without supporting his erratic
tweets or endorsing his most
controversial actions. (Crenshaw
strongly criticized Trump’s
decision to withdraw troops
from Syria, and co-sponsored
the bipartisan House resolution
opposing the pullout.) He’s also
one of the biggest fundraisers in
the House, despite still being in his
first term: in 2019, he’s collected
more than $2.7 million. For those
who want a more traditional,
hard-right warrior, Crenshaw may
be a glimpse at the conservative
movement’s future.
ÑCharlotte Alter