Fox News "The Ingraham Angle" - Transcript: Interview with Gov. Greg Abbott

Interview

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All right. Joining me now, Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Governor, Democrats in your state literally ran away from the democracy that they swore to uphold and protect. Your reaction to what happened today?

GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): Isn't that the most un-Texan thing you've ever heard, Texans running from a fight? They're quitters. It's like during a football game or a baseball game, taking their equipment when they're way behind and just leaving the field. That is not the way that Texans do things. And you captured it perfectly. And that is that they're leaving and abandoning their right to vote.

And I tell you what is crazy, but, Laura, this is not over. Because you, as it was pointed out in that prelude, we have special sessions that last 30 days. And the governor calls them and I will continue calling special session after special session, because over time it's going to continue until they step up to vote.

But, Laura, I have to point this out. The thesis that they are operating under is completely false, because what the Texas law does doesn't hinder anybody's ability to vote. And in fact, interestingly, what Texas is seeking to do is to add additional hours to vote. Texas has 12 days of early voting and the hours of which will be expanded, and we will ensure that hours are expanded on Election Day also. So their entire thesis is completely wrong.

And compared to early voting in Texas, with early voting that we have in Delaware, Texas has 12 days of early voting; Delaware has zero days of early voting. Why am I picking on Delaware? Because that is where the President himself voted in the last election. And if anybody wants to talk about voter suppression, they should be talking about Delaware, not Texas.

INGRAHAM: Yes. Well, one Texas state congresswoman is going to demand something of Biden that democrats do - what they should do when she actually gets face-to-face with them here in DC. Watch.

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JASMINE CROCKETT, TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE: For me, it's going to be more so of an ask for him to push as hard as he can. This filibuster has to - we have to do away with it. Because once again, it's Republicans being allowed to be obstructionist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Governor, they fled Texas to mommy and daddy in DC, and the Republicans are obstructionist. Please explain that for our viewers tonight.

ABBOTT: One word, hypocrisy. They're using a filibuster to flee the state of Texas to plead with the president to do away with the filibuster in Washington DC. That is the example of hypocrisy on its face. And that's one reason why they're losing the arguments with regard to voting on this issue and other issues in the state of Texas.

But I want to point this out for your viewers who are watching from Texas, because by the Democrats fleeing, they're also fleeing what we're trying to achieve by cutting your property taxes and by making sure that we secure the border, by funding very important projects such as law enforcement and communities that have high crime.

And so by fleeing the state of Texas, they're doing more than just appealing to the President. They're using taxpayer money on this political junket to Washington DC to prevent us from passing laws that will make our communities better.

INGRAHAM: I have a question, governor. Do you know, or does anyone know who paid for the private plane and the luxury bus? Was it all on the up and up, was it (inaudible) wrote the check? I mean, it's not cheap, right?

ABBOTT: This is not cheap for the travel. So get this, so they're getting paid, they're going to get food, all that kind of stuff while they're there. But they're still getting taxpayer base money and their staffs are still getting taxpayer base money. And so they're still living off of the government dime, even while they're on this trip. All the while, they are doing fundraising projects online trying to raise money for this.

And so, it really is both hypocritical, it's despicable, but it's really the worst thing you can say about a Texan unless they are so afraid they're running away from a fight that they were hired by their voters to do. They were hired by the voters to go to the Capitol and articulate what their opinion was.

INGRAHAM: Now, one of - well, they had this luxury bus that you see as well. So one of the - they have the boys on the bus, remember that book? Well, this is the buffoons on the bus had something to say about you tonight, Governor.

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TREY MARTINEZ FISCHER, TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE: We're dealing with a really obstinate governor who wants to, I guess, run his primary campaign on the backs of taxpayers at our expense. We're not going to put up for that. Our hard working men and women on the committee are effectively shut out of the process to even bring ideas to have some kind of normal discussion on voter suppression. They're trying to take away our right to vote, and we are not going to put up with it, and we're going to fight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Governor, your response? It's all about your own political--

ABBOTT: So we are taking away their ability to inject their ideas, because they have fled the state and gone to Washington and some maybe to other locations. You cannot inject your ideas if you don't show up and do your job.

INGRAHAM: There's no we're complaining about Democrats running to the courts, but is there any Texas state Supreme Court move here, or is that just a political question that wouldn't be considered?

ABBOTT: Well, there's no law on that issue. What the law is, it's in the Constitution, and that is the house, the State House of Representatives who were here in the Capitol, in Austin right now, they do have the ability to issue a call to have their fellow members who are not showing up to be arrested, but only so long as that arrest is made in the state of Texas. That's why they have fled the state. Once they step back into the state of Texas, they will be arrested and brought to the Texas Capitol and we will be conducting business.

INGRAHAM: OK. I'm looking forward to that, Governor. Hey, thank you for being with us tonight.

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