Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) warned in an interview with Tucker Carlson that aired on Friday that any move by the Joe Biden Administration to federalize the Texas National Guard would be “boneheaded” and a “total disaster.”
Speaking to the former Fox News host by phone from India — where Gov. Abbott and a group of Austin business leaders had traveled to boost Indian investment in Texas — the governor said the standoff between the state of Texas and the Biden White House is “clearly a collision course.”
In an interview from India, Gov. Greg Abbott says ten other states have sent national guard to the Texas border, and others will follow. Abbott says he is “prepared” for a conflict with federal authorities. pic.twitter.com/F58MLoOsAZ
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 26, 2024
Abbott said a move by Biden to commandeer the Texas National Guard by federalizing the state militia so that they answer to his orders instead of the governor’s would be a “total disaster” for the president. He told Carlson that Texas is “prepared in the … unlikely event that it does happen.” He revealed Texas has armed state officials on the border as well as guard troops.
“We will continue to do exactly what we’re doing to expand our denial of illegal entry into the state of Texas,” the Texas governor said. “And you can be assured there will more be National Guard from other states and more law enforcement officers from within the state of Texas and other states.”
In recent days, the Texas National Guard, acting under Gov. Abbott’s orders, has blocked the U.S. Border Patrol from carrying out orders from the White House to remove razor wire placed along the border as barriers to repel illegal immigrants. The state reserve troops have also continued placing more wire in defiance of the White House as the border crisis boils over.
Democrats have suggested President Biden could federalize the Texas National Guard troops, calling them to national duty and placing them under his chain of command.
“It can be the right thing to do if the governor will not stand down, and I think we also have to acknowledge the governor’s missteps and mistakes when it comes to calling up involuntarily members of the Guard,” said former Democrat congressman and failed candidate for Texas governor Beto O’Rourke.
A leading Texas nationalist has urged the governor to “fully militarize” the Texas reservists if Biden attempts to federalize them.
If Biden federalizes the Texas National Guard, @GregAbbott_TX should immediately throw enlistment in the Texas State Guard WIDE OPEN, fully militarize them, and deploy them as a Border Protection Force along the entire border.
— Daniel Miller (@TheTexianDM) January 24, 2024
