Governor Greg Abbott’s Thanksgiving message from the Texas–Mexico border blended customary expressions of gratitude for deployed personnel with unusually direct political attacks on President Joe Biden, marking a departure from the traditional nonpartisan tone typically seen in holiday troop appreciation events.
Abbott visited Eagle Pass alongside U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan; National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez; and governors from Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee and Virginia. The group served Thanksgiving meals to Texas National Guard soldiers and Department of Public Safety troopers assigned to Operation Lone Star. President Donald Trump, now serving his second term, has made border and immigration enforcement a central focus of federal policy.
Holiday visits to troops have historically emphasized unity and support for service members working through the holiday season. In official releases under both Republican and Democratic administrations, governors generally avoid mixing those events with partisan attacks. Abbott’s release broke from that custom by repeatedly criticizing Biden while praising Trump’s leadership.
The governor’s statement claimed that Operation Lone Star and Trump’s “strong, decisive leadership” had produced a “92%” drop in illegal crossings compared to what Abbott described as peak levels “under the Biden Administration.” The release did not cite federal or state data supporting that figure, and the comparison was framed entirely around political contrast rather than operational reporting.
The message also included declarations calling the current border “the most secure in the history of the nation,” crediting Texas and participating states with having “saved the United States of America.” Holiday releases normally focus on morale, service, and family separation during deployments rather than national political disputes.
Abbott’s tone stood in contrast to traditional Thanksgiving communications from governors, which typically keep the attention on service members rather than ongoing political conflicts. This year’s message put campaign-style criticism of Biden alongside routine thanks to personnel from Texas and partner states.
Operation Lone Star remains a large-scale state mission involving thousands of National Guard members and DPS troopers. The program continues to draw national attention for its scope, cost, and coordination with federal agencies, none of which were addressed in the holiday release.
Texas Reporter 