>> Neil: THANKS, MATT.
I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING
FUNKY GOING ON THERE.
THE GOVERNOR NOW JUST KICKING
OFF HIS THIRD TERM.
KIND ENOUGH TO JOIN US.
GOOD TO SEE YOU, GOVERNOR.
>> THANK YOU, NEIL.
GREAT TO BE WITH YOU.
>> Neil: WHEN I FIRST HEARD THIS
NEWS OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE
TALKING ABOUT THE ENCOUNTERS
GOING TO 97, WOW, THAT CHANGED
FAST.
THEN I REALIZED IT WAS LIMITED
TO THESE FOUR CASES.
AND I DIDN’T PUT TOGETHER THAT
IT WAS ONLY THOSE FOUR
COUNTRIES.
THESE ARE ASYLUM COUNTRIES AND
PART OF THE SPECIAL TREATMENT
WITH MEXICO WHERE WE’RE GOING
AFTER 30,000 SUCH CASES PER
MONTH.
I’M WONDERING WHAT YOU MAKE OF
WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS
CROWING ABOUT?
>> WELL, COUPLE OF THINGS, NEIL.
ONE IS, YOU KNOW, YOU’RE A VERY
INFORMED PERSON.
AND WERE MISLED BY THE
PRESIDENT.
THE AVERAGE AMERICAN IS
COMPLETELY MISLED BY THE
PRESIDENT WHO I THINK
PURPOSEFULLY ISSUED MISLEADING
INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC THAT
LOOKS LIKE THERE’S A DECREASE ON
THE BORDER.
HE’S WRONG FOR TWO REASONS.
ONE THAT YOU POINTED OUT,
THEY’RE TALKING ACT THESE FOUR
DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW THERE’S
PEOPLE COMES ACROSS FROM MORE
THAN 140 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
SO HE’S ADMITTING A LARGE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE COMING FROM ACROSS THE
ENTIRE WORLD.
SECOND THING AS WAS REPORTED AND
IS A FACT, AND THAT IS THAT THIS
TIME OF YEAR IS THE LOWEST TIME
OF YEAR FOR BORDER CROSSINGS.
SO THIS IS JUST SEASONAL.
AND IF NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS,
THERE WILL BE THE NATURAL
INCREASE IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH
ESCALATING ALL THROUGH THE
SUMMERTIME.
BUT THEN TO ADD TO THIS, BIDEN’S
NEW BORDER POLICY IS GOING TO BE
ATTRACTING EVEN MORE PEOPLE TO
ENTER IN TO THE UNITED STATES
ILLEGALLY.
SO BIDEN IS DOING NOTHING BUT
SOWING CHAOS, WHICH IS WHY
REPUBLICANS IN THE UNITED STATES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE NEED TO
PUT THE PEDAL TO THE METAL TO
MAKE SURE THAT THEY STOP ANY
TYPE OF PROGRAM LIKE THIS BY THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.
>> Neil: GOVERNOR, YOU MENTIONED
THIS PERIOD IS ONE THAT TENDS TO
BE SLOWER.
WE KNOW ALREADY IN DECEMBER FOR
THE TOTAL MONTH THERE, THERE
WERE A RECORD NUMBER OF
ENCOUNTERS.
251,487.
DO YOU THEN SUPPOSE THAT
NUMBER -- WHEN THE JANUARY
NUMBERS ARE TALLIED WILL ALSO BE
SMALLER?
>> WE’LL SEE.
THERE’S SO MANY ASTERISKS.
THERE’S SO MANY GOT-AWAYS THAT
ARE NOT REPORTED IN THE OFFICIAL
NUMBERS ISSUED BY THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
>> Neil: HOW MANY OF THESE,
GOVERNOR, ARE INFLUENCED BY THIS
DEAL WITH MEXICO TO DEAL WITH
ASYLUM CASES TO THE TUNE OF
AJUDE KATING THEM TO THE TUNE OF
30,000 A MONTH?
MIGHT BE TOO EARLY TO TABULATE
THAT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> SO IT IS TOO EARLY.
AS THE PROGRAM GOES INTO PLACE,
THAT IS GOING TO INCREASE THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING ACROSS
THE BORDER.
THE REASON IS BECAUSE THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IS BASICALLY
GRANTING PAROLEE STATUS TO THESE
PEOPLE COMING ACROSS THE BORDER
ILLEGALLY.
ALL THAT WILL DO IS TO SPUR EVEN
MORE PEOPLE TO RUSH THE BORDER,
THINKING THAT THEY TOO WILL GET
PAROLEE STATUS.
BUT TO BE CLEAR, WHAT THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IS DOING IS FLAT
OUT CONTRARY TO FEDERAL LAW.
FEDERAL LAW DOES NOT ALLOW THIS
MASS PAROLEE PROCESS THAT
REQUIRES ANY PRESIDENT,
EXECUTIVE BRANCH, TO ISSUE
PAROLE ON ONLY A CASE BY CASE
BASIS.
SO WE, THE STATE OF TEXAS, WE
FILED A LAWSUIT TO PUT A STOP TO
THIS PROGRAM BY THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE IT IS
CLEARLY UNEBBQUIVOCALLY AGAINST
THE LAW.
>> Neil: GOING BACK TO THE
PRESIDENT’S VISIT AT THE
BOARDER.
HIS INITIAL MEETING AT THE
AIRPORT.
IT STRIKES ME THAT WAS A LIMITED
MEETING.
AFTER THAT, I THINK YOU GAVE HIM
THE LETTER TO EXPLAIN WHAT WAS
GOING ON.
HE CLAIMS NOT TO HAVE READ IT
HOURS LATER.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT?
>> SURE.
FIRST, TO BE CLEAR, THAT WAS THE
EIGHTH LETTER THAT I’VE SENT TO
THE PRESIDENT ACT THE BORDER.
I HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE
WHATSOEVER.
BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE KNEW
WHAT WAS IN THE LETTER, YOU
SHOWED ON YOUR SHOW AND OTHER
SHORES A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN I
WAS VISITING WITH HIM THERE IN
THE EL PASO AIRPORT.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE’S
ONE KEY COMPONENT OF THAT
LETTER.
I HAVE FIVE BULLET POINTS THAT
HE CAN USE CURRENT LAW, NOT NEW
LAW, CURRENT LAW TO ENFORCE THE
BORDER TO STOP ILLEGAL
IMMIGRATION FROM OCCURRING.
I SAID IT TIME FOR YOU AS
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
TO STEP UP AND DO YOUR JOB AND
FORCE THESE LAWS THAT ALREADY
EXIST TO STOP THE ILLEGAL FLOW
OF PEOPLE COMING ACROSS OUR
BORDER.
>> Neil: SO IT LOOKED LIKE A
SINGLE PAGE, GOVERNOR.
SO THERE WASN’T MUCH TO IT.
I’M NOT SAYING NOT MUCH
SUBSTANCE TO IT.
I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THAT.
BUT IT WAS A QUICK READ.
ANYONE COULD READ THAT QUICKLY.
HOURS LATER WE’RE TOLD THAT THE
PRESIDENT STILL HAD NOT.
WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THAT?
>> RIGHT.
WE PURPOSEFULLY PUT IT ON ONE
PAGE TO MAKE SURE IT WASN’T A
LONG DOCUMENT THAT WOULD BE LONG
AND COMPLICATED FOR HIM TO READ.
I TALKED TO THE FIRST COUPLE OF
PARAGRAPHS ABOUT THE CHAOS THAT
HE’S CAUSED IN THE COUNTRY AND
IN TEXAS AND ABOUT THE WAYS THAT
HE’S VIOLATED HIS OATH OF OFFICE
AND THE CONSTITUTION AND THEN I
MADE THOSE FIVE POINTS ABOUT
WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO.
HE’S JUST IGNORING ALL OF THIS
AND FEDERAL LAW AND IMPOSEING HI
OWN OPEN BORDER POLICIES
ALLOWING THESE PEOPLE TO COME IN
FROM MORE THAN 140 COUNTRIES
ACROSS THE GLOBE.
>> Neil: MANY CRITICS SAID IT
WAS A POLITICAL STUNTED, WHAT
YOU DID WITH THE LETTER.
WHAT TO YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> SO BECAUSE I HAD PREVIOUSLY
SENT HIM SEVEN LETTERS AND GOT
NO RESPONSE, I FIGURED I HAD TO
BE THERE IN PERSON TO HAND HIM
THE EIGHTH LETTER TO TRY TO GET
A RESPONSE FROM HIM.
HE DID SAY AT THE TIME THAT HE
WOULD TRY TO WORK WITH US.
OF COURSE, WE’VE HEARD NOTHING
FROM HIM.
THE ONLY THING THAT IS A STUNT
IS WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS DOING
TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME IN TO
THE UNITED STATES CONTRARY TO
UNITED STATES LAW WITH NO
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE
PRESIDENT.
>> Neil: I KNOW YOU’RE IN A
WHEELCHAIR, SIR.
YOU’VE DONE A VERY EFFECTIVE JOB
AS GOVERNOR DEALING WITH THAT
AND NOW IN YOUR THIRD TERM.
IS THERE ANY UNDERSTANDING
BECAUSE OF THAT THAT YOU
WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY
TOUR THE BORDER WITH THE
PRESIDENT?
A LOT OF PAVED AREAS WHERE I
THINK THAT COULD HAVE BEEN
ACCOMMODATED. WHO DECIDED THAT THAT MEETING AT
WHO DECIDED THAT THAT MEETING AT
THE AIRPORT WOULD BE IT?
>> THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.
THEY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE
GOING TO EL PASO.
IT WASN’T TILL LATE THE NIGHT
BEFORE HE ARRIVED THAT THEY SENT
AN E-MAIL TO A LOWER LEVEL
PERSON IN MY ADMINISTRATION THAT
GOT TO MY CHIEF OF STAFF TO
INVITE ME TO MEET THE PRESIDENT
AT THE TARMAC AT THE AIRPORT
WITH NO INVITATION TO TO
ANYTHING ELSE WITH HIM.
LISTEN, I’VE BEEN WITH THE
FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, PRESIDENT TRUMP, ON THE
BORDER.
AS GOVERNOR, I’VE BEEN ON EVERY
COMPONENT OF THE BORDER.
SO I CAN GET AROUND ON ROCKS, ON
ROADS, ON DIRT.
WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
SO THERE WAS NOTHING STOPPING
THE PRESIDENT FROM INCLUDING ME
WITH HIM OTHER THAN THE FACT
THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO
DEEXTRACT FROM HIS MESSAGE.
REMEMBER THIS LAST THING, NEIL.
EL PASO AT THE INSTRUCTION OF
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
COMPLETELY CLEANED UP ALL OF THE
MIGRANTS THAT WERE SLEEPING ON
THE STREETS IN EL PASO TO
SANITIZE --
>> Neil: WHO DID THAT?
>> -- SO THE PRESIDENT WOULDN’T
SEE ANYTHING OUT OF PLACE.
IT WAS THE BORDER PATROL.
IT WAS THE BORDER PATROL THAT 80
ASKED TO DO THAT.
THE PRESIDENT TOOK BORDER PATROL
OFF OF THE BORDER TO CLEAN UP
THE STREETS OF EL PASO.
>> Neil: YOUR NAME KEEPS COMING
UP IN A GROWING LIST OF
POTENTIAL REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS
THAT MIGHT ENTERTAIN A WHITE
HOUSE RUN.
I THOUGHT WHILE YOU WERE HERE
YOU WOULD ANSWER THAT.
ARE YOU GOING TO RUN FOR
PRESIDENT?
>> I’M FOCUSED ON ONE THING.
THAT’S BEING GOVERNOR OF THE
GREAT STATE OF TEXAS.
>> Neil: ALL RIGHT.
THE GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
SAID THE SAME THING.
JUST RE-ELECTED GOVERNOR IN THE
GREAT STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
I’VE HEARD THAT OUT OF GOVERNOR
KEMP IN GEORGIA.
HE LOVES THE GREAT STATE OF
GEORGIA.
THEY ALL HAVE THAT IN COMMON AND
THEN THEY RUN.
IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT YOU WANT
TO AND PREFER TO STAY IN TEXAS
FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS RATHER
THAN MAKE A WHITE HOUSE RUN?
>> SO THE ONLY ACCURATE THING TO
SAY, NEIL, IS THAT MY FOCUS IS
ONLY ON LEADING THE GREAT STATE