LAS VEGAS — Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has participated in numerous debates during his decades-long political career.
After serving three terms as state attorney general, Abbott won the Texas gubernatorial election and was re-elected twice.
So his advice to former President Trump ahead of Tuesday's first and final debate between the Republican presidential nominee and Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris is: “Let Harris speak.”
“The more she speaks off a teleprompter, the more it shows America that she really isn't up to the job,” Abbott emphasized in an interview with Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership meeting in Las Vegas.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott spoke at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership conference in Las Vegas on Thursday. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Abbott said: “If he [Trump] Let her speak, and he will focus on three issues: the border, inflation, which Harris has put forward; [President] The rapid increase in crime we are seeing in some cities is driven by people like Biden and Harris. [her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim] Waltz: “The American people are going to understand that the last thing they want is for Kamala Harris to run the country, because it would destroy the country.”
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The governor endorsed Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in November at a joint event between the two leaders along the U.S.-Mexico border before voting began in the Republican primary earlier this year.
Mr Abbott campaigned on Mr Trump's behalf in the battleground state of Arizona earlier this week and has said he will continue to defend the former president.
Former President Trump spoke at a campaign rally held at First Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on August 30. (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke)
“I'm going to continue to campaign for President Trump because no one knows more about what's going on at the border than I do,” the governor of a border state said.
Border security has long been a top priority for Abbott, who has repeatedly clashed with the Biden administration, and is almost certain to remain a top priority for him as he runs for a fourth consecutive four-year term as governor of Texas starting next year.
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“The American people need to know the reality of how policy has changed under Biden and Harris, and what Kamala Harris is planning to do to put America on a path of destruction,” Abbott said.
Abbott predicted that if former President Trump is returned to his position, he would have a productive second term.
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“During his first term, we did a good job, especially with issues around border security, but this time it's going to be even better because he's going to come into office with a lot more knowledge than he did last time, he's going to know what steps to take, what can be done, what strategies to use to address it quickly,” the governor said.
“I recently spoke with Mr. Trump about his plans, and they will be much more aggressive this time around than last time because he must find a way to course-correct from all the damage that Ms. Harris and Mr. Biden have done to our country,” Abbott argued.
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