Dan Crenshaw apologizes for referring to McCarthy opponents as 'terrorists'

Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) issued an apology to his colleagues during an interview with CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday.

Crenshaw had referred to Republicans who opposed to Kevin McCarthy’s speakership as "terrorists," during a Fox News Radio interview at the height of negotiations.

Crenshaw stated that "So now we’re now we’re saying we won’t vote for anyone but McCarthy. That’s why we’re saying it because we cannot let the terrorists win. That’s basically what’s happening. And I do have to go."

During the interview with CNN, Crenshaw stated that "Things get heated, and things get said. Obviously, to the people who took offense by that, it’s pretty obvious it’s meant as a turn of phrase. I’ve got thick skin. I’m called awful, vile things by the very same wing of the party that I was fighting at that moment. So, I was a little taken aback by the sensitivity of it. But to the extent that I have colleagues that were offended by it, I sincerely apologize to them."

Crenshaw's comments certainly didn't help him regain the popularity he has lost among Republican voters.

The congressman went from a rising star in the Republican Party to an establishment Republican reviled by many Republican voters. His dogged establishment stances have made him a prime candidate for replacement at the earliest opportunity.