U.S. Representative-elect Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) rebutted President Donald Trump's threats to take "Democratic spin machines like Saturday Night Live" to court last night, by pointing out that the "First Amendment is the backbone of American exceptionalism."
Trump took to Twitter on Sunday to condemn "one-sided coverage" after NBC's SNL aired a sketch the night before that hilariously depicted what life would be like for Trump and his inner circle if he had never become president.
"A REAL scandal is the one sided coverage, hour by hour, of networks like NBC & Democrat spin machines like Saturday Night Live," Trump tweeted. "It is all nothing less than unfair news coverage and Dem commercials. Should be tested in courts, can't be legal?"
Later that evening, Crenshaw responded to the president's tweet by defending the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech. "Yes, the media deliberately misleads and spins. It's legal, and it needs to remain legal," Crenshaw tweeted, alongside a retweet of Trump's statement. "The 1st Amendment is the backbone of American exceptionalism."
Yes, the media deliberately misleads and spins. It’s legal, and it needs to remain legal. The 1st Amendment is the backbone of American exceptionalism. https://t.co/arNwbQsZgL
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) December 17, 2018
Crenshaw was elected to represent Texas 2nd Congressional District last month. Before the midterms, he made national headlines after SNL cast member Pete Davidson joked about his appearance on a "Weekend Update" segment for a bit titled "First Impressions."
Viewers throughout the U.S condemned Davidson for the off-color joke as Crenshaw wears the eye patch—that was at the center of the gag—due to his injuries sustained while serving in Afghanistan as a Navy SEAL. Even SNL's Kenan Thompson admitted his fellow cast member "missed the mark" when he mocked Crenshaw's injury.
The following week, Crenshaw went on the show and made amends with Davidson by ruthlessly and hilariously mocking his appearance.
"We weren't sure what the skit was going to look like. But in the end, we decided to do it and we decided to do it because what better platform than to sort of give a united message for the country, talk about forgiveness, and talk about veterans," Crenshaw said of the event on NBC's Today.
"It felt good. It felt like the right thing to do and I would appreciate if everybody would stop looking for reasons to be offended and that's what this was all about."
Since he came to power, Trump has repeatedly launched attacks on the media for what he perceives as unfair coverage over his administration, often labelling them as "fake news" and "enemy of the people."
Crenshaw did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.
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