Greg Abbott, the Czar of Border Lies: How His Falsehoods Fuel Republican Rhetoric

From Neanderthal Comments to Border Lies: The Journey of Deception

Jul 26, 2024

The mountains of lies about the border all began with Governor Greg Abbott. In fact, we can pinpoint the exact moment that the lies started.

It was early 2021, and COVID-19 was raging out of control. Greg Abbott’s billionaire donors pressured him to end COVID-19 restrictions in Texas. You probably remember Abbott’s right-hand man, Dan Patrick, going on TV and encouraging low-wage workers to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the economy.

Although 100,000 Texans lost their lives to COVID-19, Abbott decided to remove state-level COVID-19 restrictions because the bottom line of his donors was the most important thing. In response, President Joe Biden accused Abbott of “Neanderthal thinking.” That was March 3, 2021.

While many of us agree with Biden, it was that word, “Neanderthal,” which gave Abbott the fuel he needed to start an anti-Biden border crusade, which has now cost Texas taxpayers $13 billion. Within days of being referred to as a “Neanderthal,” Abbott launched his first attack against Biden.

Over the last three years, we have watched every Republican from Texas to Timbuktu cry, scream, and shout about the border. The border crisis. Biden’s border crisis. The border invasion. It’s important to remember, at the very core of the over-inflated border lies, is Greg Abbott’s hurt feelings over being a “Neanderthal.”

Further reading:

A Democrat’s Guide to Discussing the Border

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth puts on its shoes.

Republicans have ultimately found the magic ticket to install fear in their aging, white Republican base, and it’s the white replacement theory on steroids.

For example, there are over 21,000 murders in America each year. There are over 320,000 rapes and sexual assaults in America each year. Yet, prominent Republican politicians, like Ted Cruz, spam social media with murders and rapes committed only by immigrants.

All rapes and murders are bad, but despite the countless studies which prove that immigrants are significantly less likely to commit crimes than US-born citizens, Republicans, like Ted Cruz, are hyper-focused on the few exceptions.

Cruz has never expressed outrage over a rape or murder committed by a US citizen. It’s almost like he’s using these three or four tragic incidents to dog-whistle extreme racism and xenophobia.

Of course, Ted Cruz is just one example. All Republicans have embraced this hatred of migrants, and it all stems from the lies Greg Abbott began in 2021, which have snowballed out of control since.

Now that Biden has dropped out of the race, Greg Abbott and down-ballot Republicans have re-focused their border lies on Kamala Harris.

They’ve been calling her the “Border Czar.” If you’ve never heard the word “Czar” before, it’s probably because you live in America.

Czar was a title adopted into the Slavic languages, particularly Old Russian. Originally “tsar” or “czar,” it came to signify a monarch or supreme ruler. The title was first used in Russia by Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) in the 16th century when he was crowned Tsar of All Russia in 1547. The term “czar” was used to denote the emperors of Russia up until the Russian Revolution in 1917.

Of course, we all know that Greg Abbott has been complicit with Russian disinformation ever since the Jade Halm conspiracy. It should come as no surprise that he’s also adopted the right’s latest Russian title for Vice President Harris.

Here’s the thing: No one ever appointed Kamala Harris as the “Border Czar.” Also, “Czar” is not a title typically given to American politicians. Yet Republicans have latched on to this term.

Further reading:

Texas Border Crisis: Rhetoric, Revolution, and Russia

So, where did the term come from? If I had to bet, I would say Russia.

On Tuesday, Republicans called an emergency hearing to “condemn Border Czar Kamala Harris.” Watch Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern completely eviscerate them on their lies about Kamala Harris and the border:

Despite being confronted with their lies about Harris’s title as “Border Czar,” they still went forward with the resolution, passing it in the full House.

Note: Six Democrats crossed the aisle to condemn Kamala Harris on the border, one of which was indicted Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar.

Why are Republicans now blaming Kamala Harris for increased migration after spending years of blaming Biden?

It’s all they have. They’ve spent the last three years focusing all of their attention on increased migration and intermingling lies to blame the other political party. They don’t have any other talking points.

The bigger picture is that Republicans don’t understand cause and effect.

There are a million ways I can point out how bad Republican policies are because they focus on the “effect” while ignoring the “cause.”

Effect: Republicans highlight crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, using these incidents to argue for stricter immigration laws and increased border security. Cause: They ignore the socio-economic conditions in the immigrants’ home countries, which drive them to migrate.
Effect: Republican leaders emphasize the influx of illegal drugs, particularly from Mexico, as the primary cause of the opioid crisis, advocating for more border security as the solution. Cause: They overlook the role of domestic pharmaceutical companies in the opioid crisis.
Effect: Republicans argue that building a border wall is essential to prevent illegal immigration and ensure national security. They emphasize the immediate reduction in border crossings as a justification for the wall. Cause: This perspective overlooks the more profound issues driving people to migrate, such as economic hardship, violence, and persecution in their home countries.
Effect: Republicans criticize sanctuary cities for allegedly harboring criminals and obstructing federal immigration enforcement, arguing that these cities exacerbate illegal immigration and pose a threat to public safety. Cause: This narrative ignores the complexities of why people seek sanctuary, including the fear of violence and persecution in their home countries. Sanctuary policies are also designed to foster trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement, encouraging cooperation and reporting of crimes without fear of deportation.

You get the point. Republicans seem to always focus on the result instead of the root cause.

This is why a Republican president or a Republican in Texas will never solve our immigration woes because their approach will always be reactionary and never proactive.

In fact, border crossings have been down nearly 60% since Biden took office, and you can thank both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for that.

Why are crossings down?

The Border Patrol made 83,536 apprehensions in June, the lowest number since Biden took office in January 2021. This means that Biden was telling the truth when he said that border crossings are lower now than in Trump’s last months.

Vice President Harris has played a crucial role in diplomatic engagements with countries in Central America and Mexico to address the socio-economic factors driving migration. These initiatives include improving economic stability, reducing violence, and combating corruption in these regions.

The administration has introduced new enforcement measures to increase security at the border and reduce unlawful crossings. These include expedited removal processes and consequences for individuals attempting to enter the US without authorization. For example, individuals who cross the border unlawfully face a five-year ban on re-entry.

Thanks to Vice President Harris, increased humanitarian assistance has been provided to Central America and Mexico countries to support migrants and reduce the need for dangerous journeys. This includes funding for shelter, health services, and legal assistance.

Enhanced cooperation with Mexico has also been a critical factor. Mexican authorities have increased their enforcement efforts, helping to reduce the flow of migrants before they reach the US border.

If you only listened to Republicans, you would think that migration wasn’t down and perhaps there was an actual crisis.

President Biden appointed Vice President Harris to focus on the root causes of immigration. She did that, and although the results were not immediate, they are apparent now. However, ever since she launched her presidential bid, the only thing coming from Republicans is, “Kamala, the Border Czar, has failed.”

It’s nonsense, and the rhetoric isn’t meant for you and me but for their base, who are anxious to see Trump back in power and mass deportations.

Further reading:

The Dangerous Parallels Between Nazi Germany and Greg Abbott’s RNC Speech

Despite these significant achievements, Republicans continue to portray the border situation as a crisis. Their rhetoric focuses on fear-mongering and misinformation, ignoring the substantial progress made by the Biden-Harris administration. This is a deliberate tactic to distract from their lack of proactive solutions and to rally their base with divisive and xenophobic messaging.

Vice President Harris and the Biden administration have implemented a multifaceted approach to addressing the root causes of migration and enhancing border security. Their efforts have led to a substantial decrease in border crossings, disproving the Republican narrative of a border crisis. It’s essential to recognize the administration’s achievements and continue to push for comprehensive immigration reform to build a sustainable and humane immigration system.

By understanding the causes behind migration and the practical measures taken to address them, we can move beyond the misleading rhetoric and focus on long-term solutions. Unfortunately, we’ll never get there as long as Republicans are leading the charge.

Vote early, vote often, just vote.