Hold These Truths with Dan Crenshaw: "Addressing the 'Controversies'"

Guest: Andy Stumpf | Released: January 8, 2026

Overview

In this candid and wide-ranging episode, Congressman Dan Crenshaw sits down with Andy Stumpf to directly address the online controversies and personal attacks swirling around his political career. The conversation blends policy deep-dives, humor, personal reflection, and Crenshaw’s desire to set the record straight on everything from insider trading allegations to altercations with other public figures. The tone is honest, unfiltered, and often irreverent—offering valuable insight into both political processes and the personal cost of public service in the social media era.

Major Themes

• Media Misrepresentation & Online Tribalism: Examination of how public narratives form, stick, and often diverge from reality.
• US Foreign Policy & the Ukraine Conflict: Crenshaw’s perspective on what Trump, Zelensky, and Putin are actually doing (vs. headlines), U.S. aid, and sanctions.
• State of American Politics: Tribalism, polarization, the evolution of liberalism and conservatism, and the loss of nuanced debate.
• Healthcare Policy & Government Shutdowns: Causes of healthcare cost explosions, Obamacare's flaws, and the recurring threat of government shutdown.
• Controversies & Personal Attacks: Insider trading, “threats” toward other figures, lobbying, and the pressures of life as a congressman.
• Calls for Reform: On term limits, lobbying, stock trading bans, and budget process reform.

Detailed Breakdown

1. Opening: Friendship, Time, and the Transition to Serious Topics

[00:16 – 01:11]

• Reminiscing on Navy SEAL backgrounds and “institutionally abusive” training culture.
• Sets the stage: “Okay, serious topics. Ukraine, Trump, Zelensky.”
  — Andy Stumpf, 01:04

2. Ukraine War, Trump, and Geopolitical Realities

[01:11 – 07:22]

• Crenshaw emphasizes that most Ukraine aid “comes back to our own defense industry, our own American economy.”
  — “The cost is just over 100 billion, but most of that actually comes back…” — Crenshaw, 01:28
• Pushes back against the “Trump is abandoning Ukraine” narrative, highlighting Trump’s preference for leveraging deals rather than public conflict.
• Suggests peace is now “much more so in Russia's hands” due to Putin’s unpredictability:
  — “Putin is a tricky one and a bit unpredictable and also just highly irrational… they're spending thousands of lives for a few meters at a time. It's nuts.” — Crenshaw, 06:38

3. The Problem of Media Narratives & Political Tribalism

[07:22 – 13:12]

• Andy expresses frustration that “most people are busy enough in their day that they miss most headlines, and some of them are stickier than others… It doesn't mean that they're true.”
• Discussion of how polarization (“two teams smashing each other”) distorts reality and the consequences for civic discourse.
• Crenshaw on talking to high schoolers:
  — “I hope you choose my side, but for God's sakes, just wait… your brain is the same brain from 2000 years ago… just be patient and humble and you know, and that will make you a better thinker.” — Crenshaw, 11:01
• Both criticize the reduction of nuance and the tendency to accept narratives aligning with team identity even when contradicted by facts.

4. Where to Find Trustworthy Information

[13:12 – 16:41]

• Crenshaw recommends:
  • His own podcast ("Hold These Truths"): “for policy nerds” — Conservative, but features subject-matter experts.
  • His “Sit Wrap” briefings: Factual 15-minute news reports.
  • Conservative news sources: National Review, Daily Wire, Wall Street Journal.
  • Liberal news sources: New York Times and equivalents.
• Acknowledges social media influencers are not accountable like traditional reporters.

5. Shifts in Liberalism and Conservatism

[16:41 – 22:27]

• Both note the Democratic Party has moved "farther left,” with Crenshaw remarking:
  — “Liberalism has changed to progressivism. And there's a difference... If the Democrat party was still in that era [Clinton], they would be winning right now because they would just be conservatives.” — Crenshaw, 18:58
• On the right, Crenshaw sees a “civil war,” mainly between traditional conservatism and populism.

6. On Red Flag Laws and Online vs. In-person Discourse

[22:27 – 27:00]

• Crenshaw details the backlash he faced after a simple tweet about considering red flag laws at the state level.
• Both agree actual conversations about gun safety are possible in person, but online “you just can’t” due to boiled-down, absolutist definitions.

7. Conservative Pillars and Policy Philosophy

[27:00 – 33:53]

• Crenshaw outlines the “three pillars” of conservatism (after Russell Kirk): Cultural (meritocracy, traditional values, Judeo-Christian moral framework), Political (republicanism vs. pure democracy), and Economics (free market, small business focus).
• Tariffs and populist-right economics discussed, with cracks at Tucker Carlson and comparison to Bernie Sanders.
• Notable Quote:
  — “Populism, to me ... is the art of expressing to you your own feelings so as to make you feel happy as opposed to telling you the truth.” — Crenshaw, 31:11

8. Healthcare, Government Shutdowns, and Budget Fights

[33:53 – 53:10]

• Long section on Obamacare, healthcare market dysfunctions, and why government shutdowns happen ("no one benefits").
• Crenshaw advocates for healthcare reform via universal HSAs (Health Savings Accounts), price transparency, and state-level reinsurance.
• Notable Quotes:
  — “Stop subsidizing big insurance and subsidize patients. We finally have a good message.” — Crenshaw, 53:03 — On single payer: “Canada would be the most obvious example... you're talking about wait times or are six months for an MRI. I can get one tomorrow…” [54:38]

9. Controversy: Insider Trading, Lobbying, Alleged “Threats”

[66:49 – 90:35]

“Most Hated Congressman?”

• Crenshaw reflects on the difference between “internet truth” and reality:
  — “I have been doing this for seven years, and I’ve been very noticeable... two people... in public [ever said] anything negative to me.” — Crenshaw, 71:02
• Dismisses online reports of Mexico City “alcohol-related incidents” and CIA concerns as clickbait and fabrication.

The “Sean Ryan Saga” & Alleged Threats

• Breakdown of Crenshaw’s DM to Sean Ryan ("my boys at six told me") and how it was spun into threat allegations:
  — “To take that as a threat is nonsense… it’s not even close.” — Crenshaw, 86:23
• Discussion of cease and desist letters, the legal risk of accusing a sitting congressman of a crime, and the complex dance between personal reputation and public perception.

Insider Trading Allegations

• Crenshaw explicitly refutes any suggestion of illegal trading and supports banning Congress members from trading individual stocks.
  — “My entire time in Congress, my actual realized gains… $18,900.” — Crenshaw, 99:28 — “Why not? Let’s just remove all doubt.” — Crenshaw, 100:45

Lobbying and Influence

• Crenshaw draws a line between the old-school lobbyist model (now heavily restricted) and the rise of “influencer lobbying,” e.g. where PACs or industries channel money to social media figures to sway public opinion:
  — “The new form of lobbying that is truly corrupt is the online influencer lobbying.” — Crenshaw, 110:09
• Legislative mechanics—why bills are so long (1,500 pages) and the impossibility of single-issue bills in a complex system.

10. Budget, Debt, Social Security

[123:40 – 138:08]

• Breakdown of why federal budgeting is so intractable—mandatory spending now close to 75% of the budget.
• Blunt talk about Social Security and Medicare’s demographic time bombs:
  — “They're going bankrupt because of demographics... You need more workers paying into the system and you also have to change the system.” — Crenshaw, 131:56

11. Town Halls, The “10-year-old Incident,” and Term Limits

[138:40 – 145:13]

• Crenshaw debunks the viral video of him “attacking a 10-year-old,” explaining the questioner was actually an adult campaign operative.
• On term limits: supports the principle because it’s popular, but warns it could “institutionalize inexperience.”
  — “What we notice when we talk to voters is they like their congressman… They just want everybody else's congressman to be thrown out.” — Crenshaw, 158:01

12. The Realities of Congressional Service

[147:59 – End]

• Crenshaw describes his “real job”: securing infrastructure improvements (flood mitigation), helping with constituent services, and advancing major legislation like psychedelic research access.
• Dispels the “60% campaign” myth—political work ramps up before elections but daily life is packed with legislative duties.
• On the personal toll:
  — “This job is not possible with young kids... When that's not the case anymore, yeah, the calculation will change.” — Crenshaw, 154:24
• Closes with lighthearted banter about SEAL shooting challenges, family life, and the motivation for fighting the good fight.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the online/real world divide:
  — “There is ground truth, and there is Internet truth.” — Crenshaw, 71:13

• On overregulation and medicine:
  — “The problem again is this sort of overleafs like overregulation because you have to prove stem cells are effective for this thing. And that's been hard to prove.” — Crenshaw, 62:36

• On the aim for the Sean Ryan interview:
  — “I'm going in there for truth. ... I just hope for a civil conversation where we end up being like, all right, you know what? I think we understand each other a little bit better. That would be nice.” — Crenshaw, 146:34

• On why he keeps running:
  — “That's my real job… fixing health care, making sure that we're energy dominant… that's why I even keep running.” — Crenshaw, 150:09

Key Timestamps

• Ukraine/Trump/Zelensky (Foreign Policy): 01:11–07:22
• Media narratives & polarization: 07:22–13:12
• Where to get news: 13:12–16:41
• Political tribes & evolution: 16:41–22:27
• Gun laws & public discourse: 22:27–27:00
• Conservative philosophy: 27:00–33:53
• Healthcare/shutdowns: 33:53–53:10
• Controversy/reputation: 66:49–90:35
• Lobbying/influencer politics: 110:09–117:04
• Budget, social security: 123:40–138:08
• Term limits/experience: 138:40–145:13
• Congressional life: 147:59–end

Takeaways

• Crenshaw is unapologetic but candid about missteps, emphasizing the distortion of online disputes and the need for direct, good-faith dialogue.
• He advocates for practical reforms (stock trading ban, healthcare transparency, balanced dialogue) but warns against over-simplification.
• Despite persistent online attacks, he remains focused on his district, national policy, and the broader challenge of restoring trust in institutions and political discourse.

For listeners seeking an unvarnished look inside American politics, its controversies, and the daily grind of modern congressional service, this episode offers both candor and clarity.