Pete Davidson, Lt. Com. Dan Crenshaw Image by Getty Images

Everybody was a winner on Saturday night.

Pete Davidson apologized on air on Saturday Night Live for the joke he’d made in a segment the week before, mocking injured veteran and then-GOP House candidate Lieutenant Commander Dan Crenshaw. Crenshaw himself then appeared on air, graciously accepting the apology, getting in some funny barbs, and speaking movingly about Veteran’s Day. Saturday Night Live redeemed a bankable star and broadcast a unifying moment and Crenshaw, who won his election in Texas’ second district, appeared more compelling than ever.

The biggest winner of the night: Crenshaw’s publicist.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Not only was the SNL blowup a huge boon to Crenshaw’s campaign and public image, but it also totally blotted out any memory of the fact that the former Navy SEAL is linked to far-right conspiracy group “Tea Party,” which popularized the Pizzagate conspiracy. On August 31, Newsweek reported that Crenshaw and four other GOP nominees were or had been administrators on a popular Facebook group that bolstered the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, pushed Pizzagate, and provided a comfortable home for racist chit-chat.

When Newsweek contacted Crenshaw about the group he was listed as an administrator and had posted two of his campaign movies to the group, Crenshaw told the publication he’d “never actively managed or interacted with that page.” He then removed himself from the group.

Google Dan Crenshaw before Pete Davidson derided his appearance — Crenshaw lost an eye in combat in Afghanistan — and you would have found reference to his ambiguous connection to the far-right group. Google him after Davidson’s comments, and you won’t find a whisper of his connection to the far-right unless you know what you’re looking for. On Sunday the Washington Post wrote a lengthy, warm article about Crenshaw’s life story in response to his SNL appearance, failing to mention his connection to the Tea Party group.

“Thanks for making a Republican look good,” Crenshaw grinned at Davidson during the segment.

Jenny Singer is the deputy lifestyle editor for the Forward. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount