Night three of the Republican National Convention is just wrapping up. All eyes were on Senator JD Vance in his first official speech on Wednesday night as former president Trump’s running mate. NBC 5’s Phil Prazan and Meredith Yeomans have more.
Night three of the Republican National Convention featured key political figures from Texas, including Gov. Greg Abbott.
Energized Republicans rallied around an issue that may drive many to the polls this election: Border security. In his primetime speech Wednesday, Abbott urged voters to elect a candidate who will secure the border, finish the wall, and enforce immigration laws.
In his address, Abbott said that Texas had been forced to take the border battle into its own hands under the Biden administration.
“When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris refused to even come to Texas and to see the border crisis that they created, I took the border to them. I began bussing illegal immigrants to Washington D.C.,” said Abbott.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
Since 2022, Abbott said more than 100,000 immigrants have been bussed to sanctuary cities.
President Biden has made two trips to the border, once in January 2023 and again in February 2024.
At Wednesday’s RNC, America also met U.S. Rep. Monica de la Cruz (R-TX District 15), who flipped a solid blue district along the border in the midterms.
“There’s nothing compassionate about open borders. They threaten our national security, flood our country with deadly drugs, killing our precious children,” said de la Cruz.
Lingering above the convention is last weekend's attempt on the former president's life.
NBC News reported Wednesday that U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX District 13), a former White House physician, examined Trump after the shooting and has remained by his side much of the convention.
“Now I can say I served a president who literally took a bullet for our country,” said Jackson.
The Texas Democratic Party released a statement after Abbott’s speech, which was called an audition for his next job.
“Tonight, thousands of Texans’ in the ‘energy capital of the world’ were unable to view Abbott’s address due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Beryl. Nowhere in his speech did he mention how the storm led to fatalities, boil water notices, improvised hospitals, property damage, and how it caused millions to go without power during extreme heat. Crisis after crisis, Abbott has used this authority to cater to himself, billionaire donors and corporations instead of prioritizing relief for Texans. Hurricane Beryl is no different,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement.
“Under Greg Abbott’s leadership - Texans are no stranger to suffering. The governor’s presidential ambitions will amplify his tax-payer-funded political stunts and extreme vision for Texas while simultaneously continuing to leave our communities behind. Texas is strong because we stand together in times of crisis. Our resilience shines through when we support one another, proving that true strength comes from community and compassion - not because of Greg Abbott’s reckless leadership.”
