Good morning,

Yesterday, we asked readers about Gov. Abbott's recent handling of the border crisis. Find the results of the survey and reader comments below.

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, January 23, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

U.S. Supreme Court Says Biden Can Cut Texas' Razor Wire at Border

• The United States Supreme Court ruled yesterday that border patrol agents can cut Texas’ concertina wire fencing previously installed at the southern border to deter illegal border crossing. Will Biagini reports the court was split 5-4 on the decision.
      
• “The Supreme Court’s temporary order allows Biden to continue his illegal effort to aid the foreign invasion of America,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. “The destruction of Texas’s border barriers will not help enforce the law or keep American citizens safe. This fight is not over, and I look forward to defending our state’s sovereignty.”

NOTE: Brandon Waltens and Luca Cacciatore will be reporting live from the border today. You can find their coverage on X and the Texas Scorecard website throughout the day.

Texans Anticipate Trump-Biden Rematch in November

• Most voters in Texas are already gearing up for a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump this November, according to a new Emerson College Polling survey commissioned by Nexstar Media Group, Inc. Luca Cacciatore has the details. 

     
• Trump and Biden both have the support of 70 percent or more of their respective party's primary voters. 
       
• Looking beyond the primary, polling shows Trump has the support of 49 percent of voting Texans while Biden carries only 41 percent.

George Soros Finances Democrats in Texas

• Newly released campaign finance reports for Texas show George Soros in the top ten political donors. Amelia McKenzie explains how the billionaire spread $2.5 million across several Democrat political action committees in the last six months.
      

• Soros has shown a history of funding programs that promote anti-police activist groups and pro-crime district attorneys.

Senate Candidate Says Fraudulent Donation to Speaker Phelan Made in His Name

• Buried in the recent campaign finance filings was a $75 donation made to the re-election effort of House Speaker Dade Phelan on Christmas Eve by "Jace Yarbrough" of Cedar Hill. The problem? Jace Yarbrough says he did not make that donation. Brandon Waltens has the story.
   
• Yarbrough is himself a Republican candidate for the Texas Senate, running in a North Texas open senate seat. More on point, he served as a counsel to Sen. Angela Paxton during the impeachment trial of her husband, Attorney General Ken Paxton.
   
• “While our team is still gathering information, this appears to be an attempt to smear me with our party’s grassroots,” said Yarbrough in a statement categorically denying having made the donation.
       
• According to the state's election code, it is a Class A misdemeanor to "knowingly make or authorize a political expenditure in the name of or on behalf of another” person without their knowledge.

Desperate Lawmaker Challenges Sid Miller to a Duel

• In a bizarre text message, State Rep. Glenn Rogers dared Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller to have a duel following Miller’s endorsement of his opponent.
      
• The message was shared on Monday by Miller of Rogers texting him on Saturday night. "You are a bought and paid for, pathetic narcissist," wrote Rogers. "If you had any honor, you would challenge me, or any of my Republican colleagues to a duel instead of strutting around posting pictures with a rifle threatening to shoot RINOS."
      
• That is a reference to humorous social media posts the agriculture commissioner has made about working against RINOs (Republican in name only).
        
• “If he’s this mad just because I endorsed his primary opponent, there’s no telling what he will do once I start campaigning with him?” said Miller about the text message.
       
• As for the duel? Miller gladly accepted, with one caveat: “As the challenged party, I get to choose the weapon. I choose words! Let’s debate how you and your RINO buddies sold out the conservative cause.”
        
• Texas Scorecard recently caught Rogers touting fake endorsements from elected officials who didn’t support his campaign.
       
• Sources say Rogers has not fared well in recent polling of the district. He is opposed in the Republican primary election by Mike Olcott, who has the endorsement of Gov. Greg Abbott, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, and Attorney General Ken Paxton, in addition to Miller. He is also endorsed by the True Texas Project and Grassroots America We The People.

Fort Worth Police Plan to Aggressive Pursue Fentanyl-related Deaths

• There were three fentanyl-related deaths per week in Fort Worth during 2023, according to local police. As Emily Medeiros reports, the Fort Worth Police Department has announced it is prioritizing arrests in fentanyl cases.
      
• Under a new state law, supplying fentanyl that results in death is considered murder. Previously, suspects connected with the drug could only be charged with causing serious bodily injury.
      
• Statewide, deaths involving fentanyl rose from 891 cases in 2020 to 2,189 in 2022.

Round Rock ISD Awards $20,000 Bonus to Superintendent Under a Restraining Order

• Despite being the only superintendent in Texas with a permanent restraining order, the Round Rock Independent School District's board of trustees voted to give Hafedh Azaiez a $20,000 raise. Sydnie Henry reports his contract was also extended through June 2026.
       
• The district has been a center of controversy ever since trustees hired Azaiez as superintendent in 2021. Between personal problems like domestic violence allegations from a mistress to orchestrating the arrest of parents protesting a tax increase, Azaiez's tenure has been marked by coverup by the liberal school board.

Quote-Unquote

"This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure."

– Winston Churchill​

Y'All Answered

By every measure, the situation at the southern border is getting worse. The Biden administration is opposing state-based efforts to block illegal aliens from entering the country.

Yesterday, we asked what readers think of Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent handling of the crisis at the border: 92.2 percent approve and 7.8 percent disapprove.

Here is a sampling of the replies we received from folks who voted in the survey...

• “I chose ‘approve’ because ‘meh’ wasn't an option. Overall, I'm not impressed with Abbott's handling of anything in the past 4 years. He talks a good talk, but the actions (or lack thereof) speak louder.” – Cindy Armstrong
       

• “I approve, but much more needs to be done to thwart this invasion.” – Jack Campbell 
       

• “I am very proud of Abbott and happy that at least with this, he is defending us and trying to protect us.” – Katherine Hernandez
      

• “It’s tragic that Gov.Abbott did not do a lot more a lot sooner.” – Angela Hairston
      

• “If the Feds won't do their job, then governors should do the Fed’s job for them. I like that he is spreading the wealth around to other states, especially those that claimed there was no problem.” – Gregory Reinhart
     

• “What took Governor Abbott so long to act?” – Helen Herd
     

• “Abbott was elected to close the border by all means necessary. It’s Obama 2.0 that is trying to stop it.” – Greg Meissner
     

• "I approve of his RECENT handling of our border invasion; it sure took him long enough. Typical politician, leave things until the last minute before taking actions that would have been easier from the beginning." – Mary Casper
     

• “I approve of what the governor is doing at the border, but I fear this is a case of him doing what he thinks he has to do to be reelected.” – Patricia Forsythe
      

• “I approve of the ‘small’ steps he has taken, but he should SHUT the border down completely to truly protect the citizens he represents.” – Patrick Devine
      

• “I disapprove of Abbott because he should have been doing more to secure our border this entire time!! All he’s doing now is pandering for more votes ahead of election season! He’s allowed the Biden regime to ruin my beautiful state of Texas, and I won’t forget it!” – Dara Richardson
      

• “While I agree the governor is on the right track, I want to see plane loads of illegals sent back to where they came from. The idea anyone can walk across our border with impunity is ridiculous.” – Lloyd Smith
      

• “Approve, but it’s his (our) obligation to do more.” – Frances Davis
      

• “Abbott’s efforts do not go far enough.” – Eric Osterhout
      

• “Abbott needs to declare an invasion and use all available resources to secure our border. His hesitancy to do that is troubling.” – Mary Matthews
      

• “I approve of the fact the Governor is doing something, but he can and should do MUCH more. Although it isn't a ‘silver bullet,’ declaring an invasion would help…” – Roger Taylor
      

• “Gov Abbott talks a lot about border security, and a lot of money is appropriated for securing the border, but nothing ever changes. … No one is ever sent back across the river! The Governor has the power and authority to stop the invasion, but he refuses to actually do it.” – Fran Rhodes
      

• “RECENT is the correct word to describe Gov. Abbott’s actions. It is time to put the Federal government back in their Constitutional box and for states to re-assert their sovereignty.” – Betty Bailey-Lucas
      

• “I think Abbott is doing too little too late. Should be deporting them.” – Loretta Hammond
      

• “It is the duty of our federal government to protect our borders and to repel any invasion. The federal government has failed at that duty. Texas has every right to protect itself because of that failure. I say that Gov. Abbott’s actions are a good start.” – David Barton
      

• “Abbott’s actions are too little, too late. All of the money he has spent flying and busing illegal aliens to Democrat-led cities could have been used to complete and guard the wall President Trump started building.” – Julie Marlow
      

• “Gov. Abbott has stepped up where Biden will not. The main issue I have with Abbott’s actions on the border are that he has yet to declare an invasion and he waited too long to close down illegal entry.” – Tom Parsons
      

• “Governor Abbott is not doing enough to secure our Texas border.” – Mari Cornelius
      

• “The country is being flooded with illegal aliens, and Gov. Abbott is at least trying to do something to stem the flow.” – Charles Busbey
      

• “I personally hate that he has aided and abetted the Biden Administration by bussing mass number of illegals further into the interior of the country.” – Cathy Hess
      

• “Inadequate, but at least he is finally doing something.” – Patricia Vanderveen
      

• “I voted ‘approve,’ but it is still not enough, thanks to Biden and Mayorkas. The border patrol is little more than travel agents at this time due to this administration’s policies. I understand the state can only do so much because of intertwining federal and state laws, but every available tool must be utilized to stop this invasion.” – Eric Knutson
      

• “I approve of Abbott’s methods to try and stop border crossings, but he should have taken the initiative a long time ago.” – Lillian Sheriff
      

• “He’s just three years LATE. But I guess, ‘Better late than never.’” – Jeff Hyde
       

• “While I approve of the current move of Governor Abbott in Shelby Park—why did it take him so long? We have been invaded for three years now and every move Abbott has made seems to have been little more than a photo op. All breathless bluster on the part of Abbott and no substance.” – Evelyn Montalvo
      

• “All these efforts are a ‘day late and a dollar short.’ Abbott should have begun this ‘war’ three years ago when the ‘invasion’ began.” – Darrell Reichel
      

• “I think Texas should shut down and CLOSE its entire southern border. I approve Greg Abbott's actions. He just has not gone far enough with it yet.” – Nancy Wood
      

• “If you look at other 49 states that are non-participants in preventing this INVASION, practically ANYTHING that Texas does should be considered a heroic stand to save our nation!” – John R. Makow
      

• “I wish Gov Abbott had done more and sooner! The damage has been done, and I don’t think we’ll ever recover.” – Kaye Jameson
     

• “Instead of sending the illegal invaders to other states or putting them in jail, he should send them back to Mexico to their Governor’s residence.” – Gary Hunt
      

• “I both approve and disapprove. At least Gov. Abbott is trying to do something to stop this invasion. However, I do believe a more aggressive approach could be legally taken.” – Sandi Stephens
      

• “While I think that Greg Abbott has done more to enforce our border in the last year, he's been asleep at the wheel for the last several years. His overall performance has been dismal.” – Steve Price
      

• “Abbott isn’t doing enough to secure the border. He has never done enough.” – Eleanor Bigbie
      

• “Gov. Abbott seems to only get involved in the border crisis when it makes him look good politically.” – Bob Cain
      

• “Say what you want about Abbott, but he's my man when it comes to the border problem.” – Eleanor Edmondson
      

• “Approve of Abbott’s handling the border? It’s only three years too late.” – Mark Bigley
      

• “I am not an Abbott fan. Just wish he had taken this action long before now. It’s really too late.” – Cindy Middleton
      

• "Although I answered 'Approve,' I think Abbott dragged his feet and should have done the razor wire, etc, as soon as Biden canceled the wall." – Michael Miller
      

• "Gov. Abbott is doing something, but I feel he can do more AND should have done more sooner! Don’t cave to the current administration!" – Cindy Kelley

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