Texas Governor Greg Abbott has joked that he could build a wall along the Oklahoma border to stop the “woke left agenda” from traversing into the Lone Star State. At a campaign event on February 15 to support Republican candidate Janis Holt, who is running for the House of Representatives, Mr. Abbott said leftist radicalism is “crisscrossing” the United States and even traveling over the Red River.
The Red River runs between Oklahoma and Texas, and it is unclear if Abbott sees the woke agenda coming across that river or if he thinks it is prevalent in the Republican-dominated Sooner State.
Nevertheless, even while Abbott jokes about his neighbor, political analysts say the situation in Texas is growing even more serious. The Lone Star State is at odds with the US Supreme Court and has openly defied its ruling to remove razor wire in the Rio Grande sector. When the Court delivered the order, Abbott responded by placing more wire along the border. The verdict brought Customs and Border Patrol agents into direct conflict with the Texas National Guard, which would not allow the federal agents to enter the area.
The controversial stand-off promoted Republican Governors from all over America to express solidarity with Abbott, and more than two dozen signed a letter backing his right to protect his border’s integrity. Floridian Governor Ron DeSantis sent Florida’s National Guard as reinforcement, and in the latest developments, Missouri has done the same.
On February 20, the Show-Me State’s Governor Mike Parson told Abbott he would send 200 of his National Guard to assist with Operation Lone Star – an anti-migration program initiated by Mr. Abbott back in 2021. Mr. Parson furthermore asked his state’s legislature for $2.3 million to help fund the Texas migration mission.
At a press conference, Governor Parson said, “About two weeks ago, I visited the Southern Border, and let me not mince words when I say it is a crisis.”
