Donald Trump Endorses Texas Secession Campaigner

Donald Trump has endorsed a Texas Republican standing for the state legislature who has vowed to support laws calling for a referendum on Texan independence, and then "work toward a fair and expedient separation of Texas from the federal government" should this pass.

On January 30, David Covey, who is running to represent Texas' 21 District in the state's House of Representatives, said he was honored to have Trump's endorsement in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

He included a statement from Trump giving Covey his "complete and total endorsement" as an "America First Conservative who will Secure the Border, Restore Election Integrity, Protect our Families and Military/Vets, and Defend our under siege Second Amendment."

Covey is listed as a signatory to the "Texas First Pledge" on the Texan nationalist "Take Texas Back" website.

This states he will "will vote for legislation and resolutions to call for a vote on Texas reasserting its status as an independent nation in every term that I am elected until such a referendum is held," then seek to implement the result if a pro-independence vote takes place.

The pledge also includes a vow to "place the interests of Texas and Texans before any other nation, state, political entity, organization, or individual" and states: "If a majority of the people of Texas vote in support of Texas reasserting its status as an independent nation, I pledge to work toward a fair and expedient separation of Texas from the federal government placing the interests of Texans first."

According to the Take Texas Back website Covey, a self-styled "conservative warrior" who works in the oil and gas industry, signed the group's pledge on October 11 2022.

Newsweek has contacted David Covey and Donald Trump representatives via email. This article will be updated if any wish to comment.

The Texas First Pledge has been signed by dozens of election candidates, primarily Republicans, seeking a variety of offices ranging from state representatives to precinct chairs and members of the state board of education. In addition, 23 incumbent office holders signed the vow either before or after their election.

Daniel Miller, president of the pro-independence Texas Nationalist Movement, is one of those organizing the Texas First Pledge.

Speaking to Newsweek in January he expressed confidence Texas would leave the Union within decades, commenting: "I think the trajectory the federal government is on, the trajectory that Texas is on, I think we are headed in that direction. So whether by conscious decision or collapse of the federal system in its inability to meet its basic requirements, I think Texas becomes an independent nation definitely inside of 30 years."

In recent weeks, tensions between Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the federal government have surged over how to handle migrant flows across the Texas-Mexico border.

On January 22 the Supreme Court ruled federal agents can remove razor wire placed along the border by the Texas National Guard, at the instruction of Abbott.

This sparked a furious response from the governor, with Abbott invoking Texas's "constitutional authority to defend and protect itself" against what he termed an "invasion," a position supported by 25 other Republican governors in a joint statement.

Posting on his Truth Social website, Trump urged Republican-run states to send National Guard troops to Texas to support Texan authorities.

Speaking to Newsweek, Miller said the border dispute would push more Texans to vote yes in a hypothetical independence referendum, commenting: "The current border issue has done two things. First, it has turned a significant number of undecided voters into 'yes' voters. It seems to have also had the effect of activating a significant number of independent voters and is pushing them to support a vote on TEXIT."

Update 02/02/24, 06:30 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information