Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has endorsed former United States President Donald Trump for the 2024 elections as both Republicans agree on their border security agenda.
Abbott's endorsement comes as he is known to be another fierce critic of the Biden administration's immigration policies. The announcement was made in Edinburg, a small city in Rio Grande Valley. It is also one of the busiest sectors for unlawful border crossings.
Greg Abbott Endorses Donald Trump
The area is where Republican lawmakers have made inroads with its predominantly Hispanic communities in the last few years. Abbott and Trump embraced each other on a stage in front of Texas law enforcement helicopters, a plane, and an armored vehicle.
That time came after serving meals to Texas National Guard members and troopers involved in the state's border security initiative, "Operation Lone Star." According to CBS News, the Texas governor said that the country needs a president who would secure the border.
In the last few weeks, Trump has escalated his brutal rhetoric on immigration as well as the scope of his promises regarding the issue. Some of his advisers believe this partially led to the former president's victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.
In one of his latest interviews, Trump claimed that migrants in the United States were "poisoning the blood of our country." During his tenure as the nation's leader, the Republican businessman cracked down on illegal and legal migration.
He took unprecedented actions to reduce immigrant admissions, restrict access to the asylum system, build hundreds of miles of border wall, and end temporary deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants. The latter included those who arrived in the US as children.
Abbott's endorsement comes as Trump is the frontrunner in the Republican presidential primary. The Texas governor noted that Biden's border policies pose a risk to communities nationwide. He also credited the former president with cutting border crossings to the lowest point in decades during his presidency, according to Reuters.
Addressing Border Security
In response to the endorsement, Trump thanked the Texas governor, adding that there won't be a border security issue to worry about anymore after he becomes president. Since Democratic President Biden took office in 2021, US border agents have made more than 5 million arrests of migrants making irregular crossings.
Trump's plans for immigration policies would mark a dramatic escalation of his approach while in office. They have also drawn widespread criticism from civil rights activists and have invited several court challenges.
However, the former president did not specify the policies he plans to support if he does win the presidency in 2024. He did, however, complain about inflation, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, and news media coverage.
As a candidate and during his time as president, the Republican businessman has made frequent visits to the border. In 2016, during his campaign, Trump traveled to Laredo, Texas, in July 2015. It highlighted how his views on immigration helped him win media attention and support from the GOP base, said the Associated Press.
