Greg Abbott Says Kamala Harris ‘Couldn’t Bother’ to Visit US-Mexico Border

Texas Governor Greg Abbott launched a scathing attack on Vice President Kamala Harris after she visited Texas without stopping at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Abbott said Harris “couldn’t be bothered” to visit the border as she made her first trip to Texas since President Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election and endorsed his vice president.

Harris is under increasing pressure over what Republicans see as a lack of leadership on immigration policy.

“Kamala Harris traveled to Houston for a political rally, but she couldn’t be bothered to drive a few hundred miles further to see the damage she’s done to our border. She refused to mention Jocelyn Nungaray, who was recently killed by illegal immigrants in Houston,” Abbott said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Harris arrived in Houston on Wednesday, where she was greeted by Mayor John Whitmire and local officials.

Harris was briefed on Hurricane Beryl recovery efforts, including a visit to the Houston Office of Emergency Management with local law enforcement and emergency responders.

Harris has been criticized by Republican lawmakers for her approach to immigration, as well as by the progressive left of the Democratic Party.

She drew criticism in 2021 after an NBC interview in which she was repeatedly asked whether she had traveled to the border as vice president to see the crisis firsthand, eventually admitting that she had not.

“I haven’t been to Europe either,” she added.

Immigration is the most controversial issue in the race for the White House.

Rep. Jim McGovert said in a post on X that Republicans were trying to “smear” Harris “by falsely claiming she was the border czar.”

Immigration is a key issue heading into the 2024 presidential election, as the race for the White House takes a new turn following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s withdrawal following pressure.

A recent Gallup poll suggests that for the first time since 2005, more than half of Americans want to reduce immigration levels, indicating a shift in attitudes and bipartisan support for greater border security.

Additionally, a poll released on July 22 shows that Trump is perceived as better than Harris in handling immigration (+15), compared to the outgoing vice president.

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