'Civil War' Warnings Grow Over Texas Border Standoff

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The conflict between the Biden administration and Texas Governor Greg Abbott over the southern border has sparked some concerns about civil war.

Tensions between the politicians escalated this week after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Biden's decision to require Texas to remove razor wire and other barriers constructed along to border to curb immigration. The federal government raised environmental and humanitarian concerns about the deterrent.

Abbott defied the ruling in multiple statements, including in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that read: "This is not over."

"Texas' razor wire is an effective deterrent to the illegal crossings Biden encourages. I will continue to defend Texas' constitutional authority to secure the border and prevent the Biden Admin from destroying our property," he said.

Greg Abbott and Donald Trump
Left: Greg Abbott at a sports event in New Orleans, Louisiana. Joe Biden speaks at a ”Reproductive Freedom Campaign Rally" in Manassas, Virginia. A clash between Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Biden administration could... Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images/ Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Meanwhile, some Democrats, including Texas Representative Joaquin Castro, have urged Biden to federalize Texas' National Guard to stop Abbott defying the ruling.

Now, writing on X, some commentators have raised the possibility of civil war.

Newsweek contacted representatives for Abbott and Biden by email to comment on this story.

Internet personality Terrence Williams told his 1.7 million followers: "CIVIL WAR IS COMING SOON."

"You are trying to start a civil war," Williams told the president in a video posted online. "You got everybody in the state of Texas all bent up."

Conservative commentator Carmine Sabia agreed, writing on X, "Joe Biden is about to start a Civil War over his treasonous handling of the border."

YouTube streamer Tim Pool said on a stream that it "looks like a Fort Sumter-esque type scenario," referencing the first battle of the Civil War.

Tucker Carlson posted on X asking: "Where are the men of Texas? Why aren't they protecting their state and the nation?"

Republican Representative Clay Higgins added that "the feds are staging a civil war, and Texas should stand their ground."

Speaking to former president Donald Trump's adviser Steve Bannon, Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene said: "That Supreme Court decision that was made has now put the federal government at war with the state of Texas."

"If they fund a war in Ukraine when Zelensky is raising the white flag, asking for peace talks in Switzerland, and they weaken our border policy while the federal government is at war with Texas, that is truly, possibly the start of a civil war in this country," she added.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Newsmax host Carl Higbie discussed a potential "conflict."

"Let's say this showdown—I mean, that's what it is. It's a showdown. It's a showdown of power and loyalties and constitutionality. Let's say [Biden] does that," Higbie said. "How many people say, 'No. You know what? Screw you, Biden administration.' And how many people stay and fight with Texas versus the federal things, and does that put us on course for a force-on-force conflict?"

Stitt said: "We certainly stand with Texas on the right to defend themselves. But Biden is going to be in a tough situation. So in other words, he's going to try to federalize these troops—in other words, put them on federal orders. And so now, their allegiance technically goes to the president of the United States instead of the governor."

Migrant encounters reached an all-time high last month, when 302,000 incidents were documented. Earlier this month, Texas authorities seized a public park on the shores of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass and blocked Border Patrol agents from accessing roughly 2.3 miles of the southern border.

A Harvard CAPS-Harris poll released Monday shows immigration overtaking inflation as the top policy concern among voters, with 35 percent of Americans listing it as their top issue, followed by 32 percent who chose inflation.

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About the writer

Kate Plummer is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. politics and national affairs, and she is particularly interested in the impact of social policy decisions on people as well as the finances of political campaigns, corruption, foreign policy, democratic processes and more. Prior to joining Newsweek, she covered U.K. politics extensively. Kate joined Newsweek in 2023 from The Independent and has also been published in multiple publications including The Times and the Daily Mail. She has a B.A. in History from the University of Oxford and an M.A. in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London.

Languages: English.

You can get in touch with Kate by emailing k.plummer@newsweek.com, or by following her on X at @kateeplummer.


Kate Plummer is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. politics and national affairs, and ... Read more