{"id":996559,"date":"2021-11-10T23:13:46","date_gmt":"2021-11-11T04:13:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=996559"},"modified":"2021-11-10T23:13:55","modified_gmt":"2021-11-11T04:13:55","slug":"exclusive-american-counterpunch-governor-greg-abbott-touts-his-state-as-the-land-of-freedom-and-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-american-counterpunch-governor-greg-abbott-touts-his-state-as-the-land-of-freedom-and-opportunity\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive &#8212; American Counterpunch: Governor Greg Abbott Touts His State as the Land of Freedom and Opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fexclusive-american-counterpunch-governor-greg-abbott-touts-his-state-as-the-land-of-freedom-and-opportunity%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=996559&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div id=\"1636586684.003800\" class=\"c-virtual_list__item\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"listitem\" data-qa=\"virtual-list-item\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__background p-message_pane_message__message c-message_kit__message\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_container\" data-qa-unprocessed=\"false\" data-qa-placeholder=\"false\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__hover\" role=\"document\" aria-roledescription=\"message\" data-qa-hover=\"true\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__actions c-message_kit__actions--above\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__gutter\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__gutter__right\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_content\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text\">\n<div class=\"c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text\">\n<div class=\"p-block_kit_renderer\" data-qa=\"block-kit-renderer\" readability=\"10.5\">\n<div class=\"p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first\" readability=\"16\">\n<h2 class=\"p-rich_text_section\">AUSTIN, Texas \u2013&nbsp;Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) is a fighter. Whether it\u2019s surviving a near-fatal accident that left him paralyzed or leading his state through the coronavirus pandemic, Abbott isn\u2019t afraid of adversity, and he has faced plenty of it from the \u201cBrandon\u201d administration. In spite of President Joe Biden\u2019s open-border policies, anti-drilling agenda, and vaccine authoritarianism, Abbott told Breitbart News that Texas is and remains America\u2019s \u201cOpportunity State.\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>On a windy afternoon in mid-October at the University of Texas\u2019s football stadium, Abbott \u2013 the 48th and current governor of Texas \u2013 sat at the fifty-yard line for a broad exclusive interview with Breitbart News\u2019&nbsp;<em>On the Hill&nbsp;<\/em><span class=\"c-mrkdwn__highlight\">video<\/span>&nbsp;series. During the interview, Abbott pitched himself as the counterbalance to President Biden\u2019s \u201cdisastrous policies\u201d and federal overreach \u2014 things so often seen when the Democrats hold power. It\u2019s a role with which he is very familiar. As Texas attorney general, Abbott sued the Obama administration 27 times. Since Biden took office, Abbott has continued to push back against Democrats, including being one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/interactive\/2020\/us\/states-reopen-coronavirus-trnd\/\">first<\/a> governors to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/border\/2021\/03\/02\/texas-governor-rescinds-statewide-mask-mandate-businesses-open-100-percent\/\"><span>fully re-open<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;his state for business and terminate mask mandates. Abbott also is leading the way against Biden\u2019s vaccine mandate for American businesses,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/border\/2021\/10\/11\/texas-governor-prohibits-vaccine-mandates-by-any-entity\/\"><span>issuing<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;an executive order&nbsp;banning any entity in Texas \u2014 including those privately owned \u2014 from mandating coronavirus vaccines.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_18656946\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" readability=\"36\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2021\/11\/AP18322170874952.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18656946 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AP18322170874952-1024x760-1.jpg\" alt width=\"1024\" height=\"760\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abbott visits with the Longhorns following a game in 2018 in Austin, Texas.&nbsp;A graduate of the University of Texas, Abbott is known for his love of Texas football and can often be spotted on the sidelines cheering on the state\u2019s teams. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_18656994\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" readability=\"34\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2021\/11\/AP16254614175807.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18656994 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AP16254614175807-1024x682-1.jpg\" alt width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Greg Abbott gives a Texas A&amp;M Gig\u2019Em symbol at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo\/Sam Craft)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Up for re-election next year, the two-term governor navigates a noticeable political tightrope between the demands of conservative and moderate Texans. The past 19 months have delivered some of his biggest challenges in office to date. <span>But, overcoming challenges is Greg Abbott\u2019s brand, so to speak.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In 1984, at the age of 26, the former track star was nearly killed in a horrific accident while jogging with a friend in Houston. An afternoon run \u2014 a break from studying for the bar exam \u2014 left the recent law school graduate paralyzed from the waist down. As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasmonthly.com\/news-politics\/the-overcomer\/\">described<\/a> in a 2013 <em>Texas Monthly<\/em> profile:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"15\">\n<p>Abbott heard what he describes as a \u201cloud explosion, like a bomb going off.\u201d He had been running a few yards ahead of Frost [his friend], and the next thing he knew, he was down on the ground, having been struck by an oak tree that had snapped near its base. \u201cIt hit me in the back and knocked me down,\u201d Abbott says. \u201cIt broke bones in my vertebrae, which pierced my spinal cord. I had fractured ribs, which poked into some of my organs. The pain was incomprehensible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p4\">Abbott told Breitbart News, \u201cI was left with a broken back, a paraplegic never able to walk again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\">\u201cI could have given up on life,\u201d he continued, \u201cbut I chose not to do that. I chose to respond to it in ways that would put me on a pathway to go on and become governor of this great state.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_18658754\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" readability=\"33\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2021\/11\/AbbottTrackPhoto.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18658754 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AbbottTrackPhoto-1024x724-1.jpeg\" alt width=\"1024\" height=\"724\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abbott competing in a Duncanville High School track and field competition.&nbsp;(Photo courtesy of the Office of Governor Greg Abbott)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_18658770\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"33\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2021\/11\/ABBOTTBodyCast.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18658770 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ABBOTTBodyCast-1024x796-1.jpeg\" alt width=\"990\" height=\"770\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abbott&nbsp;wearing a back brace&nbsp;at a Houston rehabilitation center following his accident. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Governor Greg Abbott)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>After vowing to never allow his disability to hold him back, Abbott went on to be a successful attorney, district judge, and justice on the Texas Supreme Court. Prior to becoming governor, his tenure as Texas attorney general was the longest in state history.<\/p>\n<p><span>This determination has defined Abbott\u2019s career \u2013 with the word \u201c<span class=\"s2\">perseverance<\/span>\u201d often <a href=\"https:\/\/fb.watch\/97WCoSr2of\/\">used<\/a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gregabbott.com\/perseverance\/\">crafting<\/a> his political image.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>When asked if his own life lessons could be applied to Texas and its challenges today, Abbott answered, \u201cWhat happened in my life, it is a lesson that everybody either does, or should apply every day, a lesson that even football teams on this field should apply. And that is: our lives are not defined by our challenges, but the way that we respond to our challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust because you have a challenge in life,\u201d he said, \u201cjust because something goes wrong \u2014 even if it\u2019s a catastrophic injury \u2014 do not let it be a setback for you. Find a way to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>The Number One Issue<\/b><\/p>\n<p>While Americans are facing challenges on almost all fronts, Abbott freely admits that the Southern Border crisis is \u201cthe number one issue\u201d for his constituents.<\/p>\n<p><span>Shortly before this interview, the humanitarian crisis in Del Rio, Texas, was taking place, which, at its height, saw roughly 15,000 Haitian migrants <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/border\/2021\/09\/19\/haitian-camp-crisis-brings-chaos-to-two-small-cities-on-texas-mexico-border\/\">camped<\/a> under and around a bridge near the U.S. border. Many of Abbott\u2019s critics were sounding off, concluding that he wasn\u2019t doing enough to seal the border. \u201cWhy isn\u2019t he using the National Guard?\u201d and \u201cWhy wasn\u2019t he detaining illegal aliens as they crossed the border?\u201d were oft-heard questions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Well, it turns out Abbott was doing both \u2014 perhaps not to the extent his critics would have liked or outside legal constraints \u2014 but, make no mistake, Texas, not the Biden Administration, is now doing the lion\u2019s share of work at the Southern Border to address the <span class=\"s3\">\u201ccatastrophe,\u201d as Abbott calls it, \u201ccaused by Joe Biden\u2019s open border policies.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\">\u201cTexas is having to shoulder the responsibility that typically is the federal government\u2019s responsibility to secure our border and to secure our sovereignty,\u201d Abbott explained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\">\u201cEver since I\u2019ve been governor, every legislative session we\u2019ve had, we put in close to a billion dollars to deploy resources and personnel to the border to help secure the border,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe\u2019re doing more than all the other states have ever done combined.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"10.268041237113\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">More Texas National Guard tactical vehicles being deployed at the southern border.<\/p>\n<p>Texas is ready for any incoming caravans attempting to cross into our state.<\/p>\n<p>We are the first &amp; last line of defense at our border. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2shHtts45o\">pic.twitter.com\/2shHtts45o<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GregAbbott_TX\/status\/1455609626985127942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 2, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The governor went on to explain in detail many of the actions he has taken:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"36\">\n<p class=\"p5\">I just signed two bills that provide $3 billion of Texas funds to secure the border. We have thousands of National Guard, well over a thousand Texas Department of Public Safety Officers, [and] Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens and officials down there, because part of the region is water and they help secure the water portion of the border.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\">On top of all that, we came up with a new plan to arrest and jail people coming across the border for violations of trespass laws, which have accelerated crimes now \u2014 or penalties now. And then, Texas is building our own wall on the border, and we\u2019ve already begun that process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\">On top of that, I\u2019ve signed laws such as making it easier to prosecute smuggling\u2026 I signed nine laws, cracking down on the heinous crime of human trafficking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\">We created a new crime in the state of Texas that goes directly after the drug cartels. It\u2019s a new law for this deadly drug fentanyl, where it\u2019s now a crime to manufacturer or distribute fentanyl in the state of Texas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\">And then, on top of all of that, we\u2019ve been in court challenging the Biden administration. We got a federal court ruling here in the state of Texas from a federal judge mandating that the Biden administration reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy. It was announced earlier today that the Biden administration is going to go along with that federal judge order and begin the process of re-emphasizing the Remain in Mexico policy.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p5\">\u201cThe fact is, Texas is stepping up and doing what needs to be done to secure the border,\u201d he said, \u201c[We\u2019re] pretty much the only force responding to the people coming across the border.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"11.473372781065\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Texas Department of Public Safety is in full force along the border around the Del Rio area. <\/p>\n<p>They have built a barricade with their squad cars and State Troopers. <\/p>\n<p>The National Guard is working with them to secure the border. <\/p>\n<p>\u2066<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TxDPS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@TxDPS<\/a>\u2069 \u2066<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TexasGuard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@TexasGuard<\/a>\u2069 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/U2XR9qgZce\">pic.twitter.com\/U2XR9qgZce<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GregAbbott_TX\/status\/1439364178305765380?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 18, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div id=\"attachment_18658794\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"44\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2021\/11\/GettyImages-1235424850.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18658794 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/GettyImages-1235424850-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">U.S. Border Patrol, National Guard, and Texas Department of Public Safety vehicles in Del Rio, Texas, shine their lights on the crossing point for mostly Haitian migrants on the Rio Grande in September 2021. \u201cIt was the Border Patrol themselves,\u201d Abbott told Breitbart News, \u201cwho said that what ended that influx at that particular time is when the Texas Department of Public Safety [and] National Guard, they pulled up right at the border with their vehicles and parked them shoulder to shoulder, and then they got on the border side of those vehicles, and at that point in time is when people stopped coming across the border.\u201d (Photo by&nbsp;PAUL RATJE\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Abbott <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/news\/politics\/2021\/10\/28\/texas-gov-greg-abbott-responds-to-criticism-hes-not-doing-enough-to-stop-border-surge\/\">confirmed<\/a> at the end of October that he deployed 6,500 National Guardsmen to the border. Some of his detractors, though, continue to insist that more must be done.<\/p>\n<p><span>Don Huffines, who is a long shot to defeat Abbott in the primary,&nbsp;vows that he would secure the state\u2019s border by putting economic pressure on Mexico and deploying the entire Texas National Guard, some&nbsp;20,000 members.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cCounterbalance\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>In addition to his actions to secure the border where Biden has failed, Abbott\u2019s resolute stance against the Democrat\u2019s agenda has made&nbsp;recurring headlines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Other actions drawing ire from the Establishment Media include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/06\/16\/texas-gov-greg-abbott-signs-bill-targeting-critical-race-theory\/\">banning<\/a> critical race theory in classrooms, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/sports\/2021\/06\/03\/texas-dunks-mark-cuban-passes-bill-requiring-pro-teams-play-national-anthem\/\">requiring<\/a> sports teams receiving state funds to play the national anthem, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2016\/12\/04\/texas-indiana-south-dakota-race-become-13th-permitless-carry-state\/\">instituting<\/a> permitless carry, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/09\/01\/texas-becomes-first-state-to-ban-abortion-once-heartbeat-detected\/\">banning<\/a> abortion after six weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Abbott has also defied the so-called experts and Anthony Fauci.<\/p>\n<p><span>One of the first governors to lift his state\u2019s coronavirus lockdown (May 1, 2020), Abbott, like all politicians,&nbsp;has had to straddle the line between public safety and authoritarianism.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In one of his most recent moves to push back against what he sees as federal overreach, Abbott, who is vaccinated, issued an executive order last month banning any entity, including private businesses, from mandating a coronavirus shot.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI talked to too many Texans around the entire state, who were literally crying because they faced either losing their job or compromising their own values and safety by getting the vaccine,\u201d he explained to Breitbart News. \u201cOne of the catalysts behind my action was to ensure that people would not be losing their jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p8\"><span class=\"s4\">Immediately after Abbott issued his executive order, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines and Fort Worth-based American Airlines both said they would be ignoring the governor\u2019s ruling, but Abbott revealed to Breitbart News that <\/span>\u201cthe&nbsp;day after Southwest said they would not comply,&nbsp;they did issue a [statement] saying that no one at Southwest will be terminated \u2026&nbsp;and we have received similar information from American Airlines that may not have been published yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p10\">Just days after our interview, Southwest Airlines&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/10\/19\/southwest-drops-plan-to-get-rid-of-unvaccinated-staff-by-december-deadline\/\"><span>announced<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;it would be scrapping its plan to place unvaccinated employees with pending exemptions on unpaid leave after a December deadline.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p8\"><span class=\"s4\">The Texas Republican said he wanted to <\/span>\u201cset the counterbalance against the Biden administration to say that no one can be compelled to take a vaccine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p11\"><span class=\"s4\">When asked about the legal strategy for keeping his vaccine mandate ban alive given the inevitable challenge from the federal government, Abbott admitted that <\/span>\u201cthis is headed toward a legal showdown,\u201d but he felt \u201cvery confident\u201d Texas will win, explaining:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"15\">\n<p class=\"p11\">Neither the president of the united states, nor the federal government have any legal authority \u2014 any constitutional authority \u2014 to issue their vaccine mandate. \u2026 [T]hroughout the history of the United States of America, it has been governors in states that have been in charge of health and safety of the people who are residents of those states, not the federal government. So, from the legal side, I feel like we\u2019re on solid ground. Also, from the constitutional side in this regard, and that is part of the governor\u2019s job is to ensure that the freedoms that are guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of our positions are going to be protected.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p12\">Although the U.S. Supreme Court has not considered the issue, so far, Abbott\u2019s intuitions have been correct. The fifth circuit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/us-federal-appeals-court-issues-stay-bidens-vaccine-rule-us-companies-2021-11-06\/\">issued<\/a> a stay on Saturday, essentially freezing the mandate,&nbsp;citing \u201cgrave statutory and constitutional\u201d issues with the rule.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\">Abbott\u2019s reference to the lack of constitutional authority for Biden\u2019s mandate is based on long-settled Supreme Court precent that reserves to the individual states the \u201cpolice power\u201d concerning&nbsp;public health, public safety, personal responsibility, and social welfare, instead of the federal government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\">White House press secretary Jen Psaki, however, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/\">regarded<\/a> Abbott\u2019s counter to Biden\u2019s mandate a purely political move. To this charge, Abbott replied that the mandate itself was \u201cpolitics by the Biden administration.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p11\"><span>\u201cClearly, they\u2019re acting completely contrary to the Constitution,\u201d the governor continued. \u201cOne thing that Biden has failed to do [is] work in collaboration with the states. He had every opportunity to.\u201d Referencing comments from the CEO of Delta Airlines, Abbott said, \u201cA vaccine mandate is a blunt tool that is not needed because there are other effective ways to address this.\u201d<\/span><strong><br \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>The Texas Dream: \u201cOpportunity and Freedom\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Despite the pandemic, Texas has remained the number one state in the U.S. for economic development. The pandemic lockdowns and their downstream economic consequences have put a bigger spotlight on Texas, the ninth-largest economy in the world if the state were its own country. Abbott often refers to Texas as \u201cthe economic engine of America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This has led to a massive relocation of Americans in recent years (Texas is, in fact, the only state gaining two congressional seats based on the 2020 Census).<\/p>\n<p class=\"p13\">\u201cThere are so many people moving to Texas, and most people move to Texas for opportunity and for freedom,\u201d Abbott explained when asked what it meant to be a Texan. \u201cThat\u2019s what it means to be a Texan: opportunity and freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p13\">\u201cMaybe the same reason you moved here is the same reason that Elon Musk moved here personally, but also his business,\u201d he continued, adding:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"14\">\n<p class=\"p13\">I talked to Elon Musk multiple times before he made that decision, and he talked about those two concepts of freedom and opportunity. You talk to any average Texan about what Texas stands for and its freedom and opportunity, and that is what attracts entrepreneurs here. That could be entrepreneurs that have started businesses, or the entrepreneurs who run these massive, large Fortune 500 companies. It\u2019s the same principle that applies. Texans, from the time that we were in our own country until today, this has been the location of freedom and opportunity.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"12.652173913043\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Tesla picks Texas for its Cybertruck factory.<\/p>\n<p>\u2066Thanks to \u2066.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@elonmusk<\/a>\u2069 &amp; .<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Tesla?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Tesla<\/a> for embracing our great state.<\/p>\n<p>The Gigafactory will employee thousands of Texans &amp; be a cornerstone for next generation innovation.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been fun to get to know you. <br \/>Welcome to Texas. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PsnfaEUHaz\">pic.twitter.com\/PsnfaEUHaz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GregAbbott_TX\/status\/1286061037851156485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 22, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span><span class=\"s5\">\u201cPollsters\u201d and pundits repeatedly assert that any day now, Texas will be blue. While some&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/projects.fivethirtyeight.com\/2020-swing-states\/\">shifts<\/a> to the left have occurred (Trump, for instance, only carried the state by 5.5-percentage points in 2020, down from 9-percentage points in 2016), Abbott is \u201cvery confident that the people moving here will keep Texas very red.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p13\">\u201cThis is something that, as governor, you might imagine I\u2019ve studied very closely,\u201d he said, flashing a big smile. \u201cAnd the great news is that people who are moving to Texas are making Texas more conservative.\u201d They are leaving states, like California and New York, he explained, where they \u201ccannot stand\u201d the \u201csocialistic policies\u201d anymore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p13\">\u201cThey remember why they fled those states, and they want to make sure they do not repeat in Texas what they saw in California or these other crazy leftist states\u2026 Every event I go to, there are Californias at those conservative events [\u2026] and I know that the people moving from California are making Texas even more red.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>America\u2019s Economic Engine <\/b><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not just Californians and their companies fleeing to Texas. Abbott wants their cargo ships too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTexas ports are open &amp; ready to help fix America\u2019s supply chain backlog,\u201d the governor tweeted last week encouraging log jammed ships to \u201cescape California\u201d and \u201c[c]hoose Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can get goods out faster &amp; at a lower cost than California due to our centralized location,\u201d the tweet continues:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"10.038910505837\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Texas ports are open &amp; ready to help fix America&#8217;s supply chain backlog.<\/p>\n<p>We can get goods out faster &amp; at a lower cost than California due to our centralized location.<\/p>\n<p>Choose Texas.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6nE0DjYJxB\">pic.twitter.com\/6nE0DjYJxB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GregAbbott_TX\/status\/1455192049754517504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 1, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p12\">In recent weeks, problems with America\u2019s supply chain have led to empty shelves across America. The hashtags #EmptyShelvesJoe and #BareShelvesBiden have&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/10\/15\/presidential-fail-looming-christmas-shortages-sends-emptyshelvesjoe-trending\/\"><span>trended<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;online as Americans face shortages and inflation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\"><span>As the Biden Administration blames the coronavirus pandemic and, more recently, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/10\/19\/white-house-mocks-supply-chain-concerns-as-tragedy-of-undelivered-treadmills\/\"><span>online shopping<\/span><\/a>\u201d for the national backlog of goods, experts agree that, while myriad&nbsp;factors are causing the supply chain crisis, two&nbsp;substantially contributing areas are the&nbsp;skyrocketing costs of shipping and warehousing, especially for fuel and chemicals, and the rising energy prices.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\">Oil recently&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2021-10-15\/brent-oil-hits-85-a-barrel-with-global-energy-costs-soaring\"><span>topped<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;$85 a barrel and is expected to keep climbing into next year. Natural gas prices recently&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2021-10-14\/winter-fuel-worries-accelerate-u-s-natural-gas-price-increase\"><span>hit<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;their highest point in over a decade.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\">The White House recently admitted it can\u2019t guarantee Americans will get certain gifts in time for the holiday season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p16\">\u201cWe can produce the oil, we can get the supply chain going, we can make things happen in ways that everyone will be able to get their toys by Christmas,\u201d <span class=\"s4\">Abbott told Breitbart News. <\/span>\u201cAll they need to do is to leave Texas alone and let us do our thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\">Texas is by far America\u2019s leader in oil production \u2014 producing more than a third of the nation\u2019s product.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p17\"><span class=\"s4\">The Biden Administration\u2019s decision to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/10\/14\/white-house-begs-oil-companies-for-cheaper-fuel-days-after-joe-biden-boasted-about-suspending-drilling\/\"><span>reduce<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;oil drilling in the United States in favor of a \u201cgreen\u201d agenda has cost the United States its energy independence <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2020\/10\/25\/under-trump-america-became-a-net-exporter-of-natural-gas-and-crude-oil-for-the-first-time-in-more-than-fifty-years\/\"><span>achieved<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;under President Donald Trump. <\/span>\u201cYou\u2019ve seen over the past week at least once, maybe twice, the Biden administration has been kind of asking, if not begging, the Middle East to produce more oil so that the price of energy will go down,\u201d <span class=\"s4\">Abbott observed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\">Asked whether the Green New Deal is already impacting Americans at the pump specifically, Abbott said <span class=\"s6\">\u201cif not directly, definitely indirectly.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p16\">\u201cI\u2019ve talked to the oil and gas producers in [my] state, and they say that one reason why they\u2019re not drilling more is because of inadequate access to capital\u2026 [T]he large capital enterprises in New York and some other places, they\u2019re not providing the capital to the drillers to drill more, to produce more,\u201d explained the governor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\">For years, leftists have used coercive tactics to fight so-called \u201cclimate change.\u201d Today those methods have only become more punitive and include&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2021-02-04\/climate-change-environmentalists-target-banks-to-cut-off-fossil-fuel-funding?sref=Hpp1MmFS\"><span>targeting<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;banks that lend to fossil fuel producers in an effort to shut down their money pipeline.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\">\u201cGetting lenders to choke off money to fossil fuel companies is the next needed move for the industry to address the material risks that the coal, oil and gas industry faces,\u201d Leslie Samuelrich, president at investment advisory firm Green Century Capital Management,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2021\/04\/22\/which-banks-are-increasing-decreasing-fossil-fuel-financing-.html\"><span>told<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;CNBC in April.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p16\">\u201cThis is simply demand and supply,\u201d Abbott went on. \u201cThere is not as much supply as [there] would be if [drillers] were getting the financing, [and] because of that, inadequate supply is driving up the price \u2014 and that is part of another flaw in the Biden Administration. That increase in price is leading to inflation. That inflation is a tax, especially on middle class in America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\">On Monday, the national average price for a gallon of gasoline was $3.42, 16 cents more than a month ago, and $1.31 more than a year ago, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/\">according<\/a> to AAA.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\"><span class=\"s7\">For his state specifically, Abbott believes Texans are in a good spot to ride this out:&nbsp;<\/span>\u201cWith Texas being able to manufacture so much of what we actually use in this state, with the ports that we have \u2014 whether they be coastal ports or inland ports \u2014 we probably have the best access to goods of any state in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>When the Engine Stops Running\u2026 and the Power Grid Nearly Collapses<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Border security, airlines, supply chain, and pump prices \u2014 these are all infrastructure. Abbott has had his own infrastructure challenges. Last February\u2019s catastrophic winter storm and near failure of the Texas power grid left 210 people dead, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dshs.state.tx.us\/news\/updates.shtm#wn\"><span class=\"s2\">according<\/span><\/a> to the Department of State Health Services. While \u201cmultiple deaths [were] caused by motor vehicle accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning, exacerbation of chronic illness, falls, and fire,\u201d the \u201cmajority of confirmed deaths were associated with hypothermia,\u201d their website reads.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p18\">\u201cIt happened because for one, the leaders at ERCOT [<span class=\"module__title__link\">Electric Reliability Council of Texas]&nbsp;<\/span>were arrogant. I talked to them in advance of the storm, and I told them this is gonna be the worst storm we have ever had,\u201d said Abbott. \u201cThey told me repeatedly, \u2018oh, we have this under control.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p19\">Abbott explained \u201ca design flaw\u201d they operated under \u201cwhere they would request more power generation only after a crisis already had occurred.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p19\">\u201cWhat kind of model to operate is that?\u201d he questioned. \u201cThat\u2019s chaotic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p19\">\u201cWe\u2019ve changed the leadership \u2014 we got rid of all the leadership of ERCOT, we\u2019ve got rid of all the leadership of the Public Utilities Commission. We\u2019ve installed new leaders, with new approaches that don\u2019t operate on a crisis-base mode, but instead, they plan in advance, and they plan for the worst-case scenario to always be prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p18\"><span class=\"s7\">Asked if he was confident this would never happen again, Abbott answered,&nbsp;<\/span>\u201cI am, for several reasons, in part because of the new leadership, in part because of the approach they take which is always assuming the worst and planning days in advance for the worst, but also because of the winterization that\u2019s been applied because we have more power generation today than we\u2019ve ever had before. And because everyone is preparing, as we speak today, for the very worst winter storm. I know that we will make it through the winter with keeping the power on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>The Brandon Administration<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\">\u201cLet\u2019s Go, Brandon,\u201d said the governor on the football field.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\">\u201cPeople are angry,\u201d Abbott said, blaming President Biden\u2019s \u201cdisastrous policies\u201d for the \u201cF*** Joe Biden\u201d movement continuing to resonate with Americans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\">\u201cPeople who come to these stadiums\u2026 want to gather and celebrate a great American tradition like college football, and you have Joe Biden trying to shut things down and shut people out, and you got Fauci saying you got to stay home until Christmas or whenever,\u201d he continued.\u201d It\u2019s just ludicrous \u2013 the policies that Joe Biden is advancing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\">\u201cOnly part of it relates to COVID,\u201d he explained. \u201cPart is about the border, part of it\u2019s about inflation, part of it\u2019s about the other catastrophic policies they\u2019re implementing, so you see this rising anger across the entire United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Looking ahead, \u201cmost immediately, in 13 months,\u201d Abbott predicts \u201c<span class=\"s8\">a Republican tidal wave sweep of the United States Congress.\u201d <\/span>Ripples are already being seen with the election of Glenn Youngkin in Virginia and the close gubernatorial election in New Jersey last week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\">\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of buyer\u2019s remorse of people who voted for the Biden administration, and it looks like it will only get worse, and, Americans, they want to make sure that we are not going to lose our country forever. And the only way to do that is to have a Republican tidal wave election in 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As for his own race for a third term, Abbott\u2019s most likely opponent in the general election \u2014 none of his primary opponents poll even remotely close enough to beat him \u2014 is former El Paso Congressman, failed Senate candidate, and failed presidential candidate, Robert Francis \u201cBeto\u201d O\u2019Rourke (D). O\u2019Rourke has yet to officially throw his hat in the race, but he is widely expected to do so in the near future.&nbsp;In both <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Texas_gubernatorial_election,_2014\">2014<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/elections\/results\/texas-governor-primary-election\">2018<\/a>, Abbott won his primaries with more than 90 percent of the vote. He also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2014\/11\/04\/abbott-crushes-wendy-davis-gop-sweep\/\">won<\/a> both of his general elections by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2018\/11\/06\/greg-abbott-lupe-valdez-dan-patrick-justin-nelson-texas-midterm-2018\/\">double-digits<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2021\/11\/05\/texas-poll-greg-abbott-beto-orourke\/\"><span class=\"s2\">poll<\/span><\/a> from the University of Texas at Austin and the <em>Texas Tribune<\/em>, the governor has a comfortable, 9-percentage-point lead over O\u2019Rourke, 46% to 37%.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-08-at-9.59.21-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-18663098 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-08-at-9.59.21-PM-1024x430-1.png\" alt width=\"990\" height=\"416\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-08-at-9.56.10-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-18663058\" src=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-08-at-9.56.10-PM-1024x96.png\" alt width=\"990\" height=\"93\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_18663074\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"35\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-08-at-9.53.36-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18663074 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-08-at-9.53.36-PM-1024x432-1.png\" alt width=\"1024\" height=\"432\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Screenshots taken from the <em>Texas Tribune<\/em> article entitled, \u201cGreg Abbott leads Beto O\u2019Rourke by 9 percentage points in hypothetical matchup, UT\/TT Poll finds\u201d by Patrick Svitek<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p4\">\u201cTexas is the number one state in so many categories, whether it be jobs, or whatever the case may be, but candidly, the most important thing is, Texas is the land of opportunity,\u201d said Abbott when asked for his re-election pitch and thoughts on O\u2019Rourke. <span class=\"s9\">\u201cWhen you look at the things that [O\u2019Rourke] has said on the campaign trail, the promises that he has made, it is a warning sign to Texans. It is a warning sign to Americans of what socialism, and candidly Marxism, looks like.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\">\u201cThe last thing that we need is to have somebody come in and impose socialistic ideas and policies on a state that would ruin everything the state of Texas has ever stood for, and in destroying Texas, it would lead to the destruction of the United States of America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p21\">Simply put, Abbott said, O\u2019Rourke \u201cstands for the ideas and values that are hostile to what has made Texas great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p23\"><span class=\"s7\">Asked if he regrets anything in his administration so far, or anything he would have done differently, Abbott responded,<\/span>&nbsp;\u201cI\u2019ll put it this way. There are always things that you can go back and always do better. And I would say on a daily basis, I find things that I could do better, but the goal is to constantly be looking forward and imply the aggregation of information that you gain every single day to make sure that you will be doing a better job every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cYou Never Know When a Tree Is Going to Fall on You\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Abbott remains coy, like all potential, serious candidates, on his thoughts about running for president in 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p24\">\u201cYou know, one thing that I\u2019ve learned in life\u2026 I\u2019m in a wheelchair because I was out jogging, and a tree fell on me,\u201d he stated. \u201cAnd so, my simple lesson in life is, you never know when a tree is gonna fall on you, so don\u2019t get too far ahead of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p24\">\u201cI have what will be a marquee [gubernatorial] race in the United States ahead of me. My sole focus, first of all, right now, is to make sure that we get through the session, and then make sure we get through the next election.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\"><em>In this latest edition of Breitbart News\u2019s On the Hill video series, Abbott also discusses Texas\u2019s pro-life law, his advice to his college-aged self, and for what and for whom he prays.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p12\"><i>Amanda House is Breitbart News\u2019s Deputy Political Editor and Director of Video. You can follow her on&nbsp;<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AmandaLeeHouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\"><span><i>Twitter<\/i><\/span><\/a><i>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/amandaleelombardi\/\"><span><i>Instagram<\/i><\/span><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AUSTIN, Texas \u2013\u00a0Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) is a fighter. Whether it\u2019s surviving a near-fatal accident that left him paralyzed &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":258,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-996559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/996559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/258"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=996559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/996559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=996559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=996559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=996559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}