Texas Governor Greg Abbott filed an executive order Monday prohibiting vaccine mandates of any kind. His sweeping EO essentially banned all businesses and individuals from requiring proof of vaccination for employees or business patrons for any reason.
It’s conspicuous that the Governor, who is in the middle of a reelection bid, filed the EO the day after opponent Allen West Tweeted that he was “even more dedicated to fighting against vaccine mandates” after contracting Covid-19. According to a Twitter thread by West:
“I can attest that, after this experience, I am even more dedicated to fighting against vaccine mandates. Instead of enriching the pockets of Big Pharma and corrupt bureaucrats and politicians, we should be advocating the monoclonal antibody infusion therapy.
“Instead of jabbing Americans, and not illegal immigrants, with a dangerous shot which injects them with these spike proteins . . . guess what? I now have natural immunity and double the antibodies, and that’s science.
“As Governor of Texas, I will vehemently crush anyone forcing vaccine mandates in the Lone Star State. There are far better protocols that individual citizens can utilize and decide for themselves.
“Our bodies are our last sanctuary of liberty and freedom, I will defend that for everyone, even the progressive socialist jackasses who must be saved from themselves. God’s blessings and thanks so very much for all your prayers.”
6/ Instead of jabbing Americans, and not illegal immigrants, with a dangerous shot which injects them with these spike proteins . . . guess what? I now have natural immunity and double the antibodies, and that's science.
— Allen West (@AllenWest) October 10, 2021
8/ Our bodies are our last sanctuary of liberty and freedom, I will defend that for everyone, even the progressive socialist jackasses who must be saved from themselves.
God's blessings and thanks so very much for all your prayers.
— Allen West (@AllenWest) October 10, 2021
This wouldn’t be the first time Abbott reacted to calls from West to initiate populist policies. West posted a video in June calling for Texas to start addressing border security since the federal government seemed to have abandoned all protocols from the Trump Administration that had been working wonderfully. In response, Abbott called for the same thing a few hours later.
West released a video standing in front of the incomplete border wall near El Paso and lambasted the Biden administration for holding back Customs and Border Protection while halting wall construction. He called on Texas to pick up the mantle and defend the southern border on its own with clear implications that Abbott isn’t doing enough.
West posted the video on Gab yesterday. A few hours later, Abbott announced executive orders that seemed to address much of what West had called on him to do. According to Fox News:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced his state has allocated $1 billion in its fiscal year budget toward border security, telling “The Ingraham Angle” on Thursday he will use part of that money to resume the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall started by Donald Trump but hastily halted by President Biden.
The problem with Abbott isn’t his rhetoric. He often makes statements and even initiates actions that appear to be conservative. But invariably there always seems to be something that gets in his way and pushes him back towards the Republican Establishment. His media appearances regarding border security have not helped Texans fight the invasion of illegal immigrants at the border.
President Trump has taken notice and even called out Abbott directly in a letter about voter fraud:
“Dear Governor Abbott,” President Trump began, “Despite my big win in Texas, I hear Texans want an election audit! You know your fellow Texans have big questions about the November 2020 Election. Bills to audit elections in your great state’s House and Senate were considered during Texas’ Second Special Session. Instead, the legislature passed a watered-down amendment that doesn’t even apply to the 2020 Presidential Election. This short amendment doesn’t answer the questions Texans have about the last election. Texans demand a real audit to completely address their concerns.”
For the last few years, Texas appears to be moving from being a squarely red state to a purple one. Democrats have expressed confidence that they can finally start winning big elections there. This may be why Republicans in the state have lurched to the middle, including Abbott, on some of the hot-button topics of the day.
One of the most critical topics is treatment of Covid-19. While Abbott continues to push the vaccines as “safe and effective,” West has focused on using the tools which science has demonstrated to work wonders against the disease. In a Twitter thread yesterday following his recovery, West called for Texas to focus on these life-saving treatments:
“I noticed this weekend especially that the government is running propaganda commercials of people who lost loved ones to COVID saying they wish they had taken the shot. This level of manipulative deception must end.
“Why not promote protocols such as Regeneron monoclonal antibody infusion therapy? Why not promote Budesonide nebulizer treatments? Why not promote healthy over the counter therapies such as zinc — which I take — D3, vitamin C, Hydroxychloroquine, and yes, Ivermectin?
“I am thankful that the medical professionals here at Medical City listened to me . . . not some boiler plate CDC, Dr Fauci, or Texas Medical Board mandates.
“I am not a conspiracy theorist but something very nefarious is at work here , and the innocent blood of Texans are on some dirty, corrupt hands. I promise y’all, as Governor of Texas, I will find those hands and ensure they’re held accountable.”
7/ Why not promote protocols such as Regeneron monoclonal antibody infusion therapy? Why not promote Budesonide nebulizer treatments? Why not promote healthy over the counter therapies such as zinc — which I take — D3, vitamin C, Hydroxychloroquine, and yes, Ivermectin?
— Allen West (@AllenWest) October 11, 2021
9/ I am not a conspiracy theorist but something very nefarious is at work here , and the innocent blood of Texans are on some dirty, corrupt hands. I promise y'all, as Governor of Texas, I will find those hands and ensure they're held accountable.
— Allen West (@AllenWest) October 11, 2021
Texas needs a governor who is willing to fight tooth-and-nail for medical freedom and who has the courage to promote the types of Covid treatments that demonstrably work. Texas needs Allen West.