New Texas representatives discuss Trump's executive orders | Texas: The Issue Is

With the inauguration finished, President Donald Trump is back in the White House and wasted no time getting to work with a flurry of executive orders.

Following the inauguration and the first waves of executive orders, two first-year representatives from Texas sat down with FOX 4's Steven Dial to talk about experiencing their first inauguration, and the impact Trump's orders will have on border security and immigration.

US President Donald Trump with executive orders during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. President Donald Trump launched his second term with a strident inaugural address that vo

The Inauguration

Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Tx.): "You know, it's surreal. Being in the Capitol Rotunda yesterday as President Trump mentioned in his inaugural address, we are in a new era for American greatness. He is taking us out of the darkness that we have been engulfed in for the past four years."

Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Tx.): "I felt like it was my responsibility to go to the inauguration. And, you know, I've been elected from the people of Texas 32 and from the great state of Texas to be a member of the United States Congress. And it's about the fundamental foundations of our democracy, the peaceful transfer of power. Elections are about accepting the outcome, win or lose. And while, you know, obviously I didn't support President Trump in the election, I still think if we're going to be stewards of our democracy and advocate for the peaceful transfer of power and advocate for the foundations of our Democratic government, that we need to be there to support it."

The Southern Border

Gill: "We've had a major problem in this country where illegal aliens are pouring across the border in mass numbers, millions over the past four years. Most of them are coming with fraudulent asylum claims."

"Last week I introduced the Remain in Mexico Act. And what that does is codify President Trump’s remain in Mexico executive order into law. Congress has to do this because we cannot let a future Democrat come in and undo all of the executive orders that President Trump has been initiating to protect us from illegal aliens. We have over 100 co-sponsors right now that includes two Democrats who recently joined us. This is a serious issue. This was one of the top issues of this election cycle. Republicans have a clear, distinct mandate to secure the border."

Johnson: "You know, what's so disturbing about that is he went after people who were coming here for legal immigration. You know, I am all for crackdown on illegal immigration, just like anyone else. We need to have a secure border. We can't have people swimming the Rio Grande to come to Texas. But these were people who were trying to do it the right way, who had filled out the application, who were waiting their turn, who had their legal appointment. And he just cut them at the knees."

"Another group of people that were affected were Afghanistan, folks that really were the right arms of our servicemen and women who were serving in Afghanistan, who risked their lives to help U.S. troops there process their wait in line. Their appointments were all canceled as well. So I just think, unfortunately, he made too broad of a swap and in this order, and I don't support it."

Ending Birthright Citizenship and the 14th Amendment

Gill: "You have illegal aliens coming over, having babies, using American resources to give birth, then using that as an anchor to stay in the country. It is a gross abuse of our immigration system and that’s what President Trump is fighting back on and ending birthright citizenship. I think is a great place to start."

"Historically, the 14th Amendment was about slavery. It had nothing to do with illegal aliens providing fraudulent asylum claims to anchor themselves into this country. I think that that's an anachronistic way of looking at a birthright citizenship. So, no, I don't I think that this is it's going to it's going to go to court, but I think that it will ultimately be upheld."

Johnson: "I think Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship is completely unconstitutional. And I think Representative Gill is obviously misguided on that issue. And maybe he should take a legal class or two. You know, I think that the Constitution is very clear that if you're born in this country, you are a citizen of this country. And there's been a wide amount of precedent about that as well. And so I think that I don't think President Trump has the legal authority to just unilaterally alter constitutional protections and privileges those up to. There's a process for that, meaning that it has to pass the Congress and be ratified by two thirds of the states. His executive order, in my opinion, should not hold up and is completely unconstitutional."

On Both Sides, Working Across Party Lines

Gill: "I think that we don't need Democrats to get our agenda passed. Democrats had their chance over the past four years. I think that we can get it passed without them. Now, if. Democrats want to cross the aisle and want to work with Republicans. For the benefit of the American people, to secure our border, to unleash our energy, to bring down inflation, to end this woke, weird, perverted stuff that they're pushing on the American people. Then we absolutely welcome them. But we've got a very clear mandate. We're here to execute.

Johnson: "Well, you know that the Republican trifecta is what I'm used to in the Texas legislature. You know, that's all that I've had in my six years in the Texas House. And we're still able to pass very meaningful health care legislation and meaningful legislation for our first responders and other issues. I think in the United States Congress, it requires collaboration. The thing about Congress is it flips back and forth more frequently than the Texas legislature does. So, when speaking with many of my Republican colleagues, they go, you might need me now, but I'm going to need you tomorrow."

"I have found in my conversations and meeting with folks, a real desire to try to work with me. And I'm excited to have that opportunity. I think people who come here to legislate, who come here towards the center, who recognize that Republicans can have some good ideas and Democrats have good ideas. And the flip-flop, both sides can have terrible ideas. But really working towards that common middle ground, I think, is where the vast majority of the people of the country want us to be. That's certainly where I am and certainly where I have found many of my Republican colleagues to be as well."

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The Source: Information in this article comes from interviews with Reps. Brandon Gill and Julie Johnson.

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