Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, spoke at the annual CPAC conference delivering a powerful message ahead of the 2020 presidential election, encouraging the crowd to "contribute to the national discussion" by telling the story of American exceptionalism.
"Stakes have never been higher than they are in 2020 because the story of America is at stake," the first-term, 35-year-old congressman and former Navy SEAL told the conservative crowd in Fort Washington, Maryland on Wednesday, "we have to win by telling the right American story."
Crenshaw, who lost his right eye while he was serving in Afghanistan, argued that there is a liberal misconception of the purpose of government that has led to a self-destructive instinct to tear down fundamental American ideas.
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"How do we get to a point where Bernie Sanders is the thought leader of a major political party?" asked Crenshaw in the speech, available on Fox Nation. "And on track to be the nominee for the Democrat Party, the party that used to be a party of workers?"
"We got there because there's been a misunderstanding of why government exists," he continued. "If you're looking for a reason why government exists, it's good to look at the Declaration of Independence, where it says that governments exist to protect your inalienable rights, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
"If you're on the left, you believe that that's not why government exists. You tend to believe that governments exist to continue providing more and more services and false promises to the people."
"And this isn't just radical socialists who believe this. That promise is a cornerstone of progressive thought."
Crenshaw argued that there is a willingness by some on the left to denigrate America, with the ultimate purpose of remaking the country in a different vision.
"It's a story that all must be torn down and rebuilt in some kind of progressive utopia," he said, suggesting that the concept of "victimhood" is central to their argument.
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"Tell people that they're victims and tell them that the only way they can be saved is... by the socialist revolution."
"And it gets worse, eventually it becomes an attack on the foundation of our country and the symbols that actually bring us together. The flag, the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance. It's about destroying the American project from within."
"This is going to be the battle of our times. The battle between those who believe America is good and those who believe in the notion of socialist revolution who believe we are inherently bad."
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"We are the ones who must convince Americans that personal independence and responsibility is actually good, that the federal government is not the solution to every problem we face, and that the failure of socialism throughout history must be exposed as the evil that it is, that it never takes hold in our great country."
"We need to tell the story of empowerment and self-reliance, not dependency," Crenshaw concluded, "We need to tell the story of freedom, not utopian collectivism. We need to tell the story that it is still OK to unapologetically love America because that story is based in truth and gratitude and not fear-mongering for the sake of revolution and power."
CPAC is scheduled to conclude Saturday when President Trump is expected to address the gathering.
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