GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw says Trump's relationship with Republican Party is nuanced, as he isn't 'the devil,' but 'he's not Jesus either'

• Rep. Dan Crenshaw said that the GOP can't "excommunicate" former President Donald Trump.
• "I don't think Trump's the devil," he said. "I don't think he's Jesus, either."
• Crenshaw said that he wanted to move on from the "drama" surrounding Liz Cheney's ouster.

GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas on Sunday said the Republican Party can't "excommunicate" former President Donald Trump after being asked if the former president was still a "legitimate" leader of the party.

During an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Crenshaw told host Chuck Todd that Trump's relationship with Republicans is much more nuanced than what is depicted.

"I believe that you're not going to excommunicate a former president," he said. "I refuse to go into this sort of black-and-white thinking about it's totally one thing or totally another. These are complex human relationships that involve millions of people."

He added: "I have always said, 'I don't think Trump's the devil.' I won't say that. I don't think he's Jesus, either. I'm a rational human being about this. I'm going agree where I agree, and I'm going to disagree where I disagree."

-Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 16, 2021

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Regarding Rep. Liz Cheney's ouster as House Republican Conference Chair this past week, Crenshaw said that he wouldn't "allow this drama" over the her situation and disputes over the 2020 election "engulf" the caucus.

"There's no point in re-litigating some of these things," Crenshaw said. "I say this to Liz, and I say it to [Rep.] Adam [Kinzinger of Illinois]. You're not going to get the colleagues who believe in that stuff to apologize to you, to agree with you."

Crenshaw then said he'd rather debate policy and move away from the recent turmoil within the caucus.

"My Republican supporters do not ask me about Trump," he said. "They don't ask me about what he said. They're not riled up about it."