Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) took on Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin over her claims that President Donald Trump bungled the response to the coronavirus pandemic and cost the U.S. trillions in tax funds and many American lives.

Rubin made the accusations in a Washington Post editorial that Crenshaw dismantled in a detailed Twitter thread.

"STOP. REWRITING. HISTORY," the conservative Texan tweeted.

"Instead of attempting to spin the public into a hateful, frightened frenzy, let's try reporting some facts with the correct context," he said.



Crenshaw pointed out that the World Health Organization was downplaying the threat of the coronavirus on March 3, the date Rubin opined that Trump should have shut the economy down.

"Would the America public really have accepted millions of jobs destroyed for a virus that had infected just 102 people by March 2? Especially considering Italy would not lock down until March 10th, Spain on March 14th, and the UK on March 23?" he asked.

Crenshaw then took issue with Rubin's quote: "Because we did not act earlier to ramp up testing at a massive scale and prepare our health-care system, social distancing — shutting down most of the economy — was required."

Not sure where the magic COVID-19 testing switch is. The truth is that long-standing regulations - in place for decades - prevented us from doing so. https://t.co/fDtnnbLg0i

— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) April 16, 2020

"First, you argue that we should have shut down the economy weeks before we did. Then, you argue that the shut down, resulting job loss, and economic devastation are his fault too. Which is it? You can't have it both ways," Crenshaw continued.

"Your analysis makes it seem like our government deliberately decided not to buy more PPE. The truth is there was a global production shortage when China began stopping exports, and demand soared. This is still happening," he added.

Crenshaw cited headlines from the Washington Post, where Rubin contributes, to support his argument.

"When it's all said and done, this bad-faith analysis isn't fact-based and lacks important context," Crenshaw said in the last tweet of the thread.

When it's all said and done, this bad-faith analysis isn't fact-based and lacks important context. Hating Trump is not an excuse for lazy argumentation and emotional reasoning.



Now, more than ever, we need critical thinking and productive deliberation.

— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) April 16, 2020

"Hating Trump is not an excuse for lazy argumentation and emotional reasoning," he concluded. "Now, more than ever, we need critical thinking and productive deliberation."



Rubin has been criticized by many on the right for claiming to be a conservative while using her platform to bash Trump and other Republicans.

Here's more from Crenshaw on the coronavirus: