Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said his state is prepared in the "unlikely event" the Biden administration federalizes the Texas National Guard in the sides' ongoing border dispute.
Abbott made the comments in an interview with Tucker Carlson on his new show, "Uncensored."
While a handful of Democrats have called on President Joe Biden to federalize the Texas Guard, the White House demurred Thursday when asked if it's being considered. Regardless, Abbott said he's thought it through.
"Well, first, I'd be shocked. That would be a boneheaded move on his part, a total disaster," Abbott told Carlson from India, where he's on business to boost trade and investment in Texas.
"For one, as you might imagine, 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 and that is building these barriers," Abbott said. "We will continue to do exactly what we're doing to expand our denial of illegal entry to the state of Texas."
Abbott and the Biden administration are on a collision course over a state's right to defend itself against what Abbott calls a border invasion of illegal immigrants entering the country versus federal immigration laws.
The Supreme Court earlier this week ruled that the Biden administration can remove razor wire deployed by Abbott's guard and other state law enforcement. The court, however, did not order Texas to quit deploying additional razor wire and other barriers.
Abbott was supported by a joint statement of 24 Republican governors on Thursday, all of whom backed his effort to secure his state. Abbott told Carlson that 10 states so far have "sent Guards or other law enforcement."
"You can be assured, there'll be even more National Guard from other states," Abbott said. "I believe they will all be in on the endeavor."
He added, "I'll be shocked and disappointed if almost all of them didn't" send National Guard troops.
One Republican governor who has sent state guard members is South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who also toured what she called a "warzone" on Friday at Eagle Pass, Texas.
"Every time that I come to the southern border, it is clear that the situation has deteriorated more and more. Texas has carved out a small zone of security in the middle of this warzone," Noem said in an email release.
Abbott told Carlson he believes this standoff with the federal government "will all come to an end on Jan. 20 of next year."
"Because I believe a new president will be sworn in, a president who will actually enforce the immigration laws of the entire country, not just the Texas border. We will have safe and secure borders once again," Abbott said of a potential second Donald Trump administration.
Until then, Abbott said, "All we can do is be prepared as possible, deploy as many people as possible, do as much as possible to put up more border barriers and deny illegal entry.
"Our head is down; we're working hard, regardless of what the Biden administration is doing."