Night three of the Republican National Convention featured prominent Texas political figures rallying around a critical election issue: border security.
Governor Greg Abbott, in his primetime speech on Wednesday, urged voters to support candidates who prioritize securing the border, completing the border wall, and enforcing immigration laws. Abbott criticized the Biden administration for what he described as its failure to address the border crisis adequately.
“When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris refused to visit Texas and witness the border crisis they created, I took action. I started bussing illegal immigrants to Washington D.C.,” Abbott stated, highlighting his administration’s response to the situation.
Abbott claimed that since 2022, over 100,000 immigrants have been bussed to sanctuary cities. President Biden has made two visits to the border, in January 2023 and February 2024.
Also introduced at the RNC was Rep. Monica de la Cruz, who won a formerly Democratic district along the border in the midterm elections. She emphasized the need for secure borders, describing open borders as a threat to national security and contributing to the influx of dangerous drugs into the country.
The backdrop to the convention included the recent attempt on the former president’s life, with Texas Rep. Ronnie Jackson, a former White House physician, reportedly attending to Trump after the incident and remaining close during much of the convention.
Reflecting on Abbott’s speech, the Texas Democratic Party criticized him for what they described as prioritizing political ambitions over addressing ongoing crises in Texas, such as Hurricane Beryl. The party accused Abbott of neglecting to mention the storm’s devastating effects, including fatalities, infrastructure damage, and widespread power outages, during extreme heat conditions.
The statement from Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa characterized Abbott’s leadership as focusing on personal ambitions and neglecting the needs of Texans, contrasting it with the community’s resilience and solidarity during times of crisis.
