EAGLE PASS, Texas — Former President Donald Trump called on states to send their National Guard to the border amid the current legal battle between the Biden administration and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

What You Need To Know

  • Former President Donald Trump called on states to send their National Guard troops to the border amid the current legal battle between the Biden administration and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

  • Some GOP governors in other states have thrown their support behind Abbott, but it is not clear whether they will follow Trump's suggestion and send their National Guard to the border

  • In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump accused President Joe Biden of “aiding and abetting a massive invasion” of migrants illegally crossing the border

  • Trump applauded the efforts of Abbott at the border and said the Texas governor had “rightly invoked the Invasion Clause of the Constitution"

In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump accused President Joe Biden of “aiding and abetting a massive invasion” of migrants illegally crossing the border. He also criticized the Department of Justice’s lawsuits against Texas, one of which was in the news this week after the Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal by the federal government to allow for Border Patrol to cut razor wire placed by Texas officials on the banks of the Rio Grande. 

“We encourage all willing States to deploy their guards to Texas to prevent the entry of Illegals, and to remove them back across the Border,” Trump said in the statement.  

Some GOP governors in other states have thrown their support behind Abbott, but it is not clear whether they will follow Trump's suggestion and send their National Guard to the border. 

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying “Oklahoma stands with Texas.” 

Other governors who have echoed similar statements on social media include Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

Trump applauded the efforts of Abbott at the border and said the Texas governor had “rightly invoked the Invasion Clause of the Constitution.” This refers to an interpretation of the Constitution that posits that the federal government was created by the states through a compact, so the states are the final judges of whether the federal government has overstepped its authority. This theory has been rejected by the Supreme Court in multiple cases, the earliest being in 1793, and it was argued frequently in the lead up to the Civil War as reasoning for seceding. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also argued for the compact theory in a post on X Wednesday.

“If the Constitution really made states powerless to defend themselves against an invasion, it wouldn’t have been ratified in the first place and Texas would have never joined the union when it did,” DeSantis said. 

At a press conference, DeSantis elaborated on his views on the border stating, "I think that if the federal government is saying that it is not only not going to enforce the law, but it's going to somehow prohibit a state from faithfully enforcing the law, that is not the way this constitution was designed. And I think that the states being able to step up, ensure the sovereignty of their territory and the sovereignty of our country is something that's appropriate. It's something that the founders envisioned. If you had a derelict executive and the federal government and I think states should be able to work together."

He went on to say that he will “keep assisting Texas with personnel and assets.”

Abbott declared an “invasion” at the border back in September, but he doubled down on that declaration Wednesday saying Texas had “the right of self-defense.”

Earlier this week, Democrat Rep. Joaquin Castro, who represents the San Antonio area about 150 miles from the border, called for Biden to take control of the Texas National Guard, accusing Abbott of creating “chaos at the border.”