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Dan Crenshaw defends Trump boat strikes but hesitates on support for strikes on Venezuela itself

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Rep. Dan Crenshaw on Sunday defended President Donald Trump’s efforts to oust Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro but stopped short of endorsing land strikes on the country.

Speaking with CBS’ Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation,” the Texas Republican said the administration’s pressure campaign shows Trump is taking Venezuela “much more seriously.”

“Deterrence almost always works, especially when you are dealing with dictators like Maduro,” Crenshaw said. “They only listen to one thing, which is power. And Venezuela has been largely left alone by American administrations. The Western Hemisphere has been left alone, and I think this president is taking it much more seriously.”

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has engaged in multiple strikes of boats they say are full of drugs being smuggled into the United States.

Last month, the president hinted at expanding military operations from the sea to the land, an idea Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) last week said he would support.

On Sunday, Crenshaw wasn’t quite ready to back that idea, telling Brennan there would have to be “a longer conversation about doing something to that extent.”

“Talking hypotheticals about invading Venezuela, I mean, that’s not really what we’re talking about right now,” Crenshaw added.

But while Crenshaw praised Trump for the steps he has taken so far, he drew a line between himself and another prominent Republican: Tucker Carlson.

The Fox News anchor-turned podcaster recently invited Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes to his show. The interview was soon widely condemned as antisemitic by much of the GOP after the show aired.

During the interview, Carlson said Republican supporters of Israel — including U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) — suffer from a “brain virus,” while Fuentes said the “big challenge” to unifying the country was “organized Jewry.”

“I have had a long-standing feud with Tucker Carlson,” Crenshaw said Sunday. “I’m glad everyone else is also waking up now to how bad of a person he is. He’s changed a lot over the last 20 years.”

The GOP is still dealing with the fallout of an explosive review of a string of antisemitic texts Blue Light News first reported last month.

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Congress

GOP senators see path to ending DHS shutdown after Trump meeting

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A group of Senate Republicans believe they’ve found a path to ending the five-week Department of Homeland Security shutdown after meeting Monday with President Donald Trump.

Asked after the White House meeting if they had a solution after meeting with Trump, Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama told reporters, “We do.”

Britt and Sens. Bernie Moreno of Ohio, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Steve Daines of Montana met with Trump to try to pitch to accept an agreement that would fund most of DHS.

Their pitch, according to two people with knowledge of it, was to pass a funding bill that would fund all of DHS except specific parts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is already funded under last year’s GOP megabill.

Graham told colleagues on the Senate floor after the meeting that the president is now open to a new party-line reconciliation bill after rejecting the idea over the weekend, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said. That could give Republicans a path to pass more ICE funding — if they can muster the votes.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. And Republicans cautioned that nothing is official until Trump backs it publicly.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said “hope so” when asked Monday night whether a deal was in hand.

Proceeding with the arrangement with Trump’s support would represent a U-turn from just 24 hours ago for the president, who insisted Sunday that DHS could be only funded if Democrats agreed to pass a partisan GOP elections bill, the SAVE America Act, alongside it.

Democrats in both chambers have pressed Republicans multiple times to take up their bills that would fund all of DHS except ICE, Customs and Border Protection and the secretary’s office. Republicans have rejected the efforts each time.

Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), a senior appropriator, said there are “various options” for funding the department but is “hopeful” a solution was within grasp.

“Republicans have put a lot on the table, and hopefully the Democrats will agree,” he said.

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Congress

GOP senators meet with Trump on DHS

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Four Senate Republicans are meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss funding the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shuttered for more than a month amid a standoff with Democrats over the administration’s immigration enforcement agenda.

GOP lawmakers attending the Monday night meeting, according to a person granted anonymity to share details of a private confab, are Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Bernie Moreno of Ohio and Steve Daines of Montana.

Britt is the chair of the appropriations subcommittee with oversight over DHS and has been helping lead negotiations to reopen the agency — though Trump warned Sunday night a deal should not be brokered until Democrats agree to help Republicans pass a partisan elections bill known as the SAVE America Act.

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No DHS talks expected until Mullin is confirmed, White House official says

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The White House is holding off on further DHS funding negotiations until the Senate confirms Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin to lead the agency, according to a White House official, granted anonymity to share internal thinking.

Democrats have previously canceled meetings, and given Mullin is close to confirmation, the official said, aides to President Donald Trump believe it’s better to wait so he can be a “full and active” participant in funding talks from the DHS side.

The White House earlier in the day rejected a Monday morning meetingwith a bipartisan group of senators who have been negotiating to end the DHS shutdown. Democrats had previously canceled a Saturday meeting.

The Senate is scheduled to vote on Mullin’s confirmation shortly before 8 p.m. Monday.

Some Senate Republicans are aiming to meet with Trump on Monday night to discuss the DHS funding situation, although no meeting has been officially scheduled.

The meeting, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, would be to try to pitch Trump on a plan to fund all of DHS except specific pieces of ICE, which have already been funded through last year’s megabill.

Trump was in Memphis, Tenn., earlier in the day, attending an anti-crime event and paying a visit to Graceland, Elvis Presley’s former home.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he expected additional meetings Monday but declined to say who was involved: “Conversations continue,” he said.

Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.

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