AUSTIN, Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott reasserted that Texans have a constitutional right to carry guns at protests Thursday, seemingly pushing against fellow Republicans who have said protesters should not have weapons at events.
Speaking at a campaign event, Abbott touted the state's Second Amendment protections.
What they're saying:
"I've signed about 30 laws. Texas has the most comprehensive Second Amendment protections of any state in the country," Abbott said. "Every Texan has the right to be able to possess a gun. Period."
Abbott said that protesters and demonstrators have the right to carry their guns as long as it is done responsibly.
"Our law is that you can open carry," Abbott said. "There are protests and other activities that occur all the time when people are carrying guns and doing so lawfully."
The governor's comments are in stark contrast with President Donald Trump and members of his administration who have said you cannot bring guns to protests after the shooting of a protester by federal agents in Minnesota.
Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel have claimed Alex Pretti was wrong to bring a firearm to an anti-ICE protest in Minnesota. Pretti, a Veterans Affairs nurse, was armed at the time of the killing and owned a permit for the firearm.
The other side:
"You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It’s that simple. You don’t have the right to break the law and incite violence," Patel said during an appearance on Fox News.
Trump shared a similar message with reporters on Tuesday.
"You can’t have guns. You can’t walk in with guns," Trump said.
The National Rifle Association, which has endorsed Trump and Abbott in the past, pushed back on the remarks made by the president.
"The NRA unequivocally believes that all law-abiding citizens have a right to keep and bear arms anywhere they have a legal right to be," the NRA wrote in a post on X.
The NRA was among the groups that endorsed Abbott at Thursday's event.
"In Texas, we believe that gun owners have a responsibility to carry that gun responsibly," Abbott said.
Abbott says ICE and White House should ‘recalibrate’ in Minnesota
Thursday isn't the first time this week that the governor has disagreed with the Trump administration.
Abbott went on Dallas-based conservative radio host Mark Davis' show this week and said Immigration and Customs Enforcement needed to rethink their strategy in Minneapolis.
"In general, we need to have respect for law enforcement officers in the country," Abbott said. "ICE, they are law enforcement officers. And so they, being the White House, need to recalibrate on what is being done to make sure that respect is going to be reinstilled."
Withdrawal of ICE in MN depends on cooperation, Trump's border czar says
White House Border Czar Tom Homan, in his first briefing after taking over Operation Metro Surge, said he is working on a drawdown plan of federal agents in Minnesota, but it depends on cooperation with state and local officials.
The governor said ICE regaining respect would not be an easy task under the current circumstances, but the agency needed to get back to their initial goal of removing people.
"I know they're working on a game plan to make sure that they are going to, let's say, recalibrate and maybe work from a different direction to ensure that they get back to what they wanted to do to begin with," Abbott said.
The Source: Information in this article comes from comments made during a Greg Abbott campaign event. Comments made by President Donald Trump and Kash Patel come from previous FOX News reporting.