Trump praises Abbott, claims he won entire Texas-Mexico border in election speech
Former President Donald Trump praised Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and falsely claimed to have won “every single community” along the Texas-Mexico border during his announcement Tuesday for another presidential run in 2024.
Trump didn’t specify whether he was speaking to his 2016 or 2020 presidential bid, but in both elections, there were border counties that went for the Democratic candidate.
“Along the border in Texas, won every single community,” Trump said. “I won every single community. Governor of Texas called. Great gentleman, just got reelected. And he said to me, ‘I’d like to talk to you for a second.’ He said, ‘You’ve done something that nobody else has done. You’ve won every single area along the border, the longest since reconstruction.’ I said, Reconstruction. I guess you call that the Civil War.’ That’s what I call it. That’s what I call it.”
He called Abbott a “very good man” who is working hard to address immigration. Texas has poured millions into Abbott’s Operation Lone Star and the governor previously announced the state would build its own border wall, a priority for Trump when president.
“He’s working hard, but it’s horrible because what’s happening is they’re just sending hundreds of thousands of people right through his state, right through Arizona, right through all of the states,” Trump said. “What’s happening is they’re coming up all of the states. We can’t have it anymore.”
Abbott did not immediately return requests for comment.
This story was originally published November 15, 2022 at 9:45 PM.
