Here’s a piece of friendly advice for users of Twitter: Just don’t bother to come for Rep. Dan Crenshaw. It never ends well. A New York Times contributing op-ed writer learned that lesson the hard way.

The topic was the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. Tuesday comedian Jon Stewart appeared before a House subcommittee to speak on behalf of first responders who benefit from the fund. Stewart emotionally chastised committee members who were absent from the hearing and the inaction of Congress to renew the funding by reauthorizing the bill. The fund must be renewed every five years in order for victims to continue to be compensated, many of whom experience health problems directly linked to their time working at the scene of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks in New York City. Stewart and some in Congress are pushing for it to be permanently funded.

Wajahat Ali made the unfortunate decision of randomly questioning the patriotism of Republicans and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) in particular for not supporting the fund’s renewal. His claim against Crenshaw was false. Though Crenshaw originally took a wait and see approach to the reauthorization bill, he is now a co-sponsor. Ali tweeted out incorrect information and dragged Rep. Ilhan Omar into the tiff. He has since deleted the tweet.

“Anytime a Republican says they are ‘patriots’ ask them if they voted to fund the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. You know who’s for it? Ilhan Omar. You know who hasn’t sponsored it? Dan Crenshaw. I hope you do the right thing. If not, why aren’t you?”

I assume the NYT writer dragged Rep. Omar into it because Crenshaw has pushed back on his fellow freshman’s remarks, notably when she dismissed the radical Islamists behind the 9/11 attacks as ‘some people who did something.’ Crenshaw simply wanted to wait for the final bill and make sure it didn’t contain poison pills. That is what he said in April.

“Generally speaking, I support the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, but the reality is that it’s not out of committee yet. I certainly support the fund, but we need to see what the final bill is like. I hope they don’t put poison pills in it so that we are forced to vote against it.”

Crenshaw responded to the attack on his patriotism with a devastating tweet. He used an X-ray image of his skull. It shows some of the injuries he sustained in battle. Dan Crenshaw is a decorated Navy SEAL and his most visible injury is the loss of an eye. He’s the member of Congress who wears an eyepatch.

Hey “journalist,” maybe you should check your facts. I am a co-sponsor. Nice try though. Also, “patriotism”: https://t.co/3jSAFc5prw pic.twitter.com/1GURun1cr4 — Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) June 11, 2019

Unfortunately, the NYT writer not only deleted his original tweet but he then decided to issue an non-apology for his error. He showed himself to be bitter and incapable of accepting responsibility in a mature way. He even issued an order to Crenshaw to correct his comments to Rep. Omar, or something.

Thanks for letting me know. I'm glad you did and I have no problem correcting and updating the record with facts. Now try it with your comments about Ilhan Omar. You'll feel better. Sincerely, a fellow patriot. https://t.co/6bAsYBpxsY — Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) June 11, 2019

I deleted this b/c Dan Crenshaw supported the Fund in May after being a holdout. Apologies to him for the tweet. I have no problem admitting it & correcting the record with facts. For those trying to "own" me, especially as you still promote "alternative facts," enjoy Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/njJ9fcNKZK — Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) June 11, 2019

Yes, Crenshaw was originally a holdout on sponsoring the bill. He was not, however, a holdout on supporting the first responder victims or of their monetary compensation. He just wanted to make sure the bill was a clean one. He was doing his job.

It never ceases to amaze me when the patriotism of our military veterans is questioned, especially from a liberal writer with an agenda. A look at Ali’s Twitter timeline shows some standard liberal grousing, including support for Stacey Abrams. He claims Abrams “should be” the Governor of Georgia.

I can tell you from real life experience that Rep. Dan Crenshaw is a humble American hero. He lost his right eye during an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2012 and surgery was required to save his left eye. Even after that, he insisted on re-deploying and did so in Bahrain and in South Korea. There is no doubt in my mind that if he was able to, he would still be serving with his fellow Navy SEALs. He served for ten years and was awarded two Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with valor. He was medically retired in 2016. Crenshaw earned a degree from Tufts University in 2006 and he earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in 2018. He now serves his country in Congress.

Tuesday Crenshaw’s first piece of legislation on the House floor passed. Unsurprisingly it aims to make the aquisitions process in the Department of Homeland Security more efficient.