MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan used data from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to school Rep. Dan Crenshaw on air Sunday night — data that the GOP congressman hadn’t himself been aware of.
Hasan used a graph based on CBP data on apprehensions at the southern U.S. border to make his point that President Joe Biden did not “inherit falling numbers.” Instead, Hasan argued, Biden took office after nine consecutive months of increased border apprehensions.
In clash after clash over the course of 16 minutes on “The Mehdi Hasan Show,” the host and the Texas representative sparred over deportations, asylum cooperation agreements and more, leading observers to tweet that Crenshaw was “not doing so well on MSNBC.” Others praised Hasan’s “fact-checking” or said he “totally destroyed” the politician.
Later, Crenshaw brought up the concept of an “open border” where undocumented immigrants are freely crossing. “It cannot be an open border if 72 percent of people are removed,” Hasan responded. “That’s nonsensical to claim that. You know that. I know that.”
“I would say there’s an effective open border,” Crenshaw replied. “That’s what I would say. If you want to accuse somebody else of saying things — you haven’t been able to fact check me on it, because I haven’t said it.”
Hasan responded: “I’m fact-checking you now. It’s not an open border if the vast number of people get expelled.”
“Mehdi Hasan debating Dan Crenshaw right now on the border issue is like watching Mike Tyson fight Urkel,” mused one viewer as Crenshaw’s name began trending on the microblogging platform.
The explosive interview came about after a Twitter spat last week during which Crenshaw insulted Hasan’s media credentials and the MSNBC host invited him on air.
“My thanks to Congressman Dan Crenshaw of Texas for accepting my invitation to come on the show tonight,” said Hasan at the conclusion of the segment. “Appreciate you taking the time out. Another man in your shoes wouldn’t have done so.”
Watch above, via MSNBC.