The office of Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a response following remarks made by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre regarding a video depicting illegal immigrants breaching the border.
A video captured by New York Post reporter Jennie Taer and photographer James Breeden on Thursday showed illegal immigrants storming across the U.S.-Mexico border while National Guardsmen attempted to manage the situation. Jean-Pierre, in a briefing on Friday, mentioned she hadn’t discussed the video with President Joe Biden. However, she suggested the matter was more appropriate for Governor Abbott. In reaction to Jean-Pierre’s remarks, Abbott’s office criticized the administration’s response as “astonishing mental gymnastics.”
Andrew Mahaleris, press secretary for Abbott, conveyed to the Daily Caller, “The mental gymnastics from the Biden Administration are astonishing. Yesterday’s surge in El Paso is the direct result of the unsustainable chaos President Biden has unleashed on the border.” Mahaleris emphasized Texas’ commitment to employing various strategies to deter and repel illegal crossings amid what he described as President Biden’s “dangerous open border policies.”
While Jean-Pierre commended border patrol during Friday’s briefing for their swift response, she redirected attention to Abbott, calling on him to address the border crisis. She remarked, “I really truly believe that’s a question for the Republican governor of Texas,” before accusing Abbott of politicizing the issue.
The White House also weighed in on the incident, attributing blame to former President Donald Trump. A White House spokesperson expressed gratitude for the Border Patrol’s handling of the situation and blamed Trump’s opposition to a bipartisan border security agreement for contributing to the chaos at the border.
The bipartisan bill proposed in February aimed to provide $60 billion in aid to Ukraine and allocate $20 billion for addressing the border crisis. Trump’s opposition to the bill, along with other Republicans, prompted Biden to fault his predecessor for its failure to pass, suggesting that Trump had influenced Republicans to vote against it.
