Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw says a report alleging an “alcohol-related episode” in Mexico led to him being issued an international travel ban is erroneous “clickbait.”
Punchbowl reported that Crenshaw, 41, was “banned” by top House Republicans from “traveling internationally for three months after an alcohol-related episode during a foreign congressional delegation.”
Crenshaw allegedly “toasted” to a “crude” joke made by a Mexican official in August that made a woman present “uncomfortable.”
Specifics about the supposed joke have not been released. However, Punchbowl reports it was severe enough that GOP Rep. Rick Crawford, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, urged Speaker Mike Johnson to remove Crenshaw from an anti-drug cartel panel.
Johnson reportedly refused to boot Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL officer, from the post.
A source close to Crenshaw told the Daily Beast that the lawmaker was not drunk at the event, which was attended by lawmakers of both parties in Mexico City.
The source added that Crenshaw had an approved trip booked for October, but had it canceled because of the government shutdown—not due to a House-imposed “travel ban.”
Crenshaw slammed the Punchbowl report in a series of posts on X, insisting that his October trip was not canceled due to a travel ban.
Big problem with this clickbait story: I was booked to go on an overseas CODEL, which was fully approved by House Ethics, from October 1st to October 6th of this year. The CODEL was canceled right before departure due to the government shutdown, but not due to any so-called… https://t.co/ZyJttrSju7
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) November 20, 2025
“This is a fact: people can pull receipts,” he posted to X. “Once again, we are dealing with the usual media playbook of publishing sensational stories based on anonymous sources and incorrect facts.”
He continued in follow-up posts, “Another problem with this headline, this ‘alcohol related incident’ is literally me doing a toast with Mexican Generals… Sorry, everyone, I truly wish I had a better story to tell you about my time in Mexico. But the truth is, in fact, very boring. I’m *shocked* that Punchbowl would try to sell you subscriptions with clickbait headlines. Super shocked.”
Jake Sherman, one of the Punchbowl reporters who broke the travel ban story, fired back at Crenshaw by calling his posts “clickbait,” too.
🙄
Big problem with this clickbait tweet: Crenshaw was barred from international taxpayer travel for 90 days by the chair of his committee.
Ethics approves privately funded travel. https://t.co/jAixrniIIq— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 20, 2025
“Big problem with this clickbait tweet: Crenshaw was barred from international taxpayer travel for 90 days by the chair of his committee,” he wrote. “Ethics approves privately funded travel.”
Punchbowl reported that Crenshaw’s “ban” from international travel was ordered by Crawford, who recently got into a “heated” meeting with Crenshaw and Johnson over a drug cartel task force that has since been shuttered.
Crenshaw, who represents an area north of Houston, Texas, is facing a primary challenge from Steve Toth.
Toth, a Republican state lawmaker, alleged to Fox News last month that Crenshaw “ran as a conservative but has done nothing except act like the newest version of Liz Cheney in Congress.” Toth’s campaign had raised more than $300,000 at the time.
Crenshaw’s team fired back that Toth’s comments were a “pathetic disservice to voters,” who first elected Crenshaw to Congress in 2018.
The post GOP Rep Addresses ‘Alcohol-Related Episode’ That Caused ‘Travel Ban’ appeared first on The Daily Beast.
