Eli Crane Reflects on GOP's Midterm Losses, Says Republicans 'Sleepwalked' After Big Beautiful Bill

Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) spoke at a House Freedom Caucus press conference on the GOP's thrashing in the midterms last week, saying Republicans "sleepwalked" after the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) into law.

'We Had an Opportunity to Go Big'

Rep. Crane posted the footage to X, wherein he states, "Obviously, last week was not a good week for Republicans, but many of us saw it coming. Many of us had conversations behind closed doors about how things were going and how this Congress was sleepwalking after we passed the Big Beautiful Bill and not getting done what the American people sent us here to do."

"In my opinion, this party needed a humbling from top to bottom, and I think that is exactly what the American people gave us last week," Rep. Crane continued, echoing Representative Eric Burlison (R-MO) by saying, "We had an opportunity to go big, and we did not do that, and now we are going home."

'Common Sense vs Crazy'

The Arizona congressman nevertheless suggested that while Republicans ran on "the messaging of common sense versus crazy," and that "the American people, for Republicans that stayed home or who voted Democrat, you are just about to see how crazy these folks really are, and it is going to give us the ability to contrast, once again, between common sense and crazy."

"But the warning is this," Crane declared, "If the American people trust us again with their votes, we better do what we say we are going to do, not just sleepwalk and try and gaslight our voters that we are doing everything we can, because we did not. We did not get it done, and we paid the price for it."

'God is Still on His Throne'

Crane concluded by reaffirming that "God is still on His throne. He is not surprised by any of this. And if we, as a nation, turn back to Him and seek Him, and we bring that back to the halls of Congress, I do believe God will bless this group, God will bless our party, and God will continue to bless this country."