Abbott Blame Biden Bid in Truck Deaths
Has Potential to Backfire in Array of Ways

Capitol Inside
June 28, 2022

Governor Greg Abbott solidified his status on Tuesday as a modern day version of the boy who cried wolf in the ancient Greek fable - pointing the finger at President Joe Biden for the horrific demise of 51 migrants who were found in a sweltering tractor-trailer that had been abandoned in San Antonio.

"These deaths are on Biden," the Republican governor declared in a standard three-line tweet complete with a special headline that gave it four. "They are a result of his deadly open border policies. They show the deadly consequences of his refusal to enforce the law."

Using this same line of reasoning, Abbott's critics could make the case that he bears the blame for 21 dead at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24. That in turn would make Abbott responsible for all of the people who've died in mass shootings in Texas on his watch for almost eight years. Such a count would be in the triple-digit vicinity.

The Texas power grid collapse in a record winter freeze in 2021 killed somewhere between 400 and 700 people around the state. When the same logic that Abbott employed to justify the tying of latest attack on Biden is employed to Winter Storm Uri and the body count from the failure of the independent Texas electricity system to perform when it was needed most.

The hyper-partisan governor got the blame game on the human smuggling casualties under way in earnest today before 9 a.m. with the tweet that put the onus on the president for the tragedy that culminated in the arrests of two Mexican Nationals this afternoon.

State Senator Roland Gutierrez - a San Antonio Democrat who represents Uvalde County - sought to give the governor a dose of his own medicine several hours later with a Twitter post that essentially said that the buck stops with Abbott.

"Another example of @GregAbbott_TX failed policies," Gutierrez said of the trafficking fatalities. "He’s now overseen the deadliest school shooting in Texas history & the largest Migrant death in Texas history, but tells us he's got it all under control. Another avoidable tragedy. More avoidable deaths. Tragic and frustrating."

Abbott has steadfastly refused to take or share any responsibility for events that are not positive - choosing to paint Biden or Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke or both as villains who want to take Texas down. The governor rarely misses a day without blasting the president.

At 9:35 a.m. today, Abbott retweeted an article from the conservative site Breitbart on had moved on Operation Lone Star's launching of a "border river mission" to ensure that the mission has the Rio Grande is secured from migrants entering Texas between ports of entry.

"The purpose of the river boats is to “prevent, deter, and interdict” illegal immigration," Abbott said in the tweet on the river police. "This includes attempts to turn back migrants preparing or attempting to cross the river."

This wasn't news to the Texas Military Department, which began touting "tactical marine units" in March with videos and photos of National Guard members patrolling the river in boats of various shapes and sizes.

"Under @GovAbbott 's #OperationLoneStar, Tactical Marine Units consisting of @TXMilitary Service Members and @TxDPS personnel patrol the Rio Grande to intercept and turn-back illegal migrant traffic along Texas' southern border," the TMD said in a tweet on April 6.

more to come ...

 
 
 
 

 

 

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