MAGA Billionaire with a grudge buys Republican a one-way ticket home from Congress: report

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) was ousted in a primary on Tuesday, and it all goes back to a feud he was having with a billionaire megadonor.

Axios reported on Thursday that Texas banker Robert Marling, a donor and supporter of President Donald Trump, was "hellbent" on destroying Crenshaw's career — and it only cost him $675,000.

Texas state Rep. Steve Toth, a far-right Republican, ousted Crenshaw 55 to 40 percent.

The battle began several years ago, those close to Marling told Axios. Marling invited Crenshaw to an annual conservative youth summit, but Crenshaw said he'd only attend if those in the audience wore masks. Those close to Crenshaw deny this and Crenshaw once proposed legislation to end the federal mask mandate on planes.

Marling, for his part, has a history of bankrolling groups such as Turning Point USA and the Club for Growth.

In an unrelated incident, Marling got wind that Crenshaw wanted to put Marling's "head through a wall," which Crenshaw also denies.

"A Crenshaw ally said the bad blood has to do with the peculiarities of Texas' 2nd District — specifically that Crenshaw represents the Harris County (Houston) portion of the district, and Marling resides in the Montgomery County portion, in Houston's northern suburbs," Axios reported. "This source said there's been a rivalry between the two counties, and that Marling wanted the district's representative to be from Montgomery County, which he found in Toth."

Allies of Marling swear that the two simply disagree over their loyalty to Trump, while Crenshaw has a reputation as a maverick.

The feud turned petty when Crenshaw took to social media, attacking Marling, alleging the billionaire was "funding all those slanderous mailers ... about me." He added that Marling's Woodforest National Bank loaned $20 million to a residential development near Houston, which "conservatives claim is a haven for undocumented immigrants," said Axios.

Marling claimed he wasn't involved. He then created an X account with a few dozen followers dedicated to attacking Crenshaw.

Marling said that he and his wife celebrated while they were lounging in the Caribbean.

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