Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the state was "prepared" for potential conflict with federal authorities.
Abbott's comments follow his Wednesday statement asserting Texas' right to defend it's southern border. The statement noted Texas' outward defiance of Monday's ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States ruling in favor of the Biden administration's legality to cut or remove sections of razor wire deployed at the state's southern border in an effort to curb illegal border crossings.
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson interviewed the Texas governor on Friday.
Carlson asked Abbott's response if the Biden administration were to federalize the Texas national guard.
"I'll be shocked," Abbott said. "It would be a boneheaded move on his part."
The Texas government added the move would result in a "total disaster."
"We are prepared in the event that that unlikely event does occur to make sure that we will be able to continue exactly what we've been doing over the past month," he said of Texas' deployment of razor wire or other efforts to curb illegal border crossings.
"Whatever we've been building, the Biden administration is now trying to attack us because of it," he continued. "We will continue to do exactly what we're doing to expand our denial of illegal entry into the state of Texas."
Carlson asked if Abbott saw a scenario in which the Texas governor would deploy armed state employees to the border instead of the state's national guard.
"We do have other armed state employees on the border as we speak right this minute," Abbott said, noting national guards from other states were also en route to provide assistance.
Abbott's Wednesday statement cited Article IV, § 4, of the Constitution, which notes the federal government "shall protect each [State] against invasion." Abbott also cited Article I, § 10, Clause 3, which acknowledges "the States' sovereign interest in protecting their borders." "The failure of the Biden Administration to fulfill the duties imposed by Article IV, § 4 has triggered Article I, § 10, Clause 3, which reserves to this State the right of self-defense," Abbott asserted. "For these reasons, I have already declared an invasion under Article I, § 10, Clause 3 to invoke Texas's constitutional authority to defend and protect itself. That authority is the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary." "The Texas National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and other Texas personnel are acting on that authority, as well as state law, to secure the Texas border," Abbott concluded.
