Abbott said it would be a severe “political blunder” if President Biden were to nationalize the Texas National Guard, as was suggested, amid the ongoing power struggle between the state and administration over the southern border.
“This is the No. 1 issue in America. Americans want a secure border. If Joe Biden federalizes our National Guard, that would be the biggest political blunder that you can make, and that’s why I think he will not do it,” Abbott told Fox News’s Sean Hannity.
The state’s top lawman said the crisis gives the impression President Biden “cut a deal” with the cartels controlling parts of the boundary. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told Fox News that he is not entirely sure what Biden’s next move will be.
“As far as a showdown, I don’t know what Joe Biden is going to do. So far, it seems like every decision he’s made has been a bad decision for our country,” Paxton said.
The Biden Administration had a hissy fit when Texas refused to comply with his instruction to stop erecting razor wire barriers and instantly froze all liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, a key component of the Texan economy. Abbott said, “Biden’s decision to freeze LNG exports threatens Texas—and America. This reckless decision is a gut punch to the hard-working men and women in the energy industry. It also could cause some countries to rely upon dirty coal as opposed to cleaner burning natural gas.“
This flag, the “Gonzales Banner”, symbolizing defiance from the Texas Revolution, was displayed without comment over a Texas Military Department building.
Texas Guard flies ‘Come and Take It’ flag amid dispute with feds – The Texas Military Department showcased the iconic “Come and Take It” flag over its headquarters, signaling a historic nod amid a tense border security dispute with the federal government.
· The flag, symbolizing… pic.twitter.com/6JzImx9x3M
— Last24Report (@Last24Report) January 30, 2024
Gonzales Banner – History
“Come and take it” is a historic slogan, first used in 480 BCE by Spartan King Leonidas I as a defiant answer and last stand to the surrender demanded by Persian king Xerxes I, and later in 1778 at Fort Morris during the American Revolution, and in 1835 at the Battle of Gonzales during the Texas Revolution. This was the first land battle of the Texas Revolution against Mexico where a small group of Texans successfully resisted the Mexican forces who had orders to seize the loaned cannon after the Texans had refused to return it when asked.
As a symbol of defiance, Caroline Zumwalt and Eveline DeWitt, young women from Gonzales, made a flag with the phrase “Come and take it” next to the cannon that they had been loaned four years earlier by Mexican officials. This was the same message that was sent to the Mexican government when they told the Texans to comply with the loan condition and return the cannon; the Texan refusal to do so led to the Mexican attempt to regain the cannon using military force.
It carries a great deal of significance in Texas.