Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.
After repeatedly trafficking in racist comparisons of border crossers to “invaders,” Gov. Greg Abbott is now under fire for identifying the victims of last week’s mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas, as “illegal immigrants.”
On Friday, an intoxicated man shot and killed five people, including an 8-year-old boy, after his neighbors dared ask him to stop firing off as assault rifle while a baby was trying to sleep.
In a subsequent statement, Texas’ Republican governor offered condolences to the families, but not before referring to the innocent victims as “illegal immigrants.” He also announced a $50,000 reward for the suspect, who remains at large at press time.
I’ve announced a $50K reward for info on the criminal who killed 5 illegal immigrants Friday. Also directed #OperationLoneStar to be on the lookout.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) April 30, 2023
I continue working with state & local officials to ensure all available resources are deployed to respond. pic.twitter.com/SpkUgKqKGe
“Five human beings lost their lives and Greg Abbott insists on labeling them ‘illegal immigrants,'” former Mayor Julián Castro tweeted in response.
Meanwhile, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) blasted the governor’s statement as “dehumanizing anti-immigrant rhetoric.”
The ILRC added: "The victims here were your neighbors. They were your friends. They were your colleagues."
What's more, several Twitter users shared evidence suggesting that at least one of the victims may have been a permanent U.S. resident.
In reality, no one should be surprised to see Abbott react with such callous disregard.
After all, this is the same assclown who lied during a 2021 San Antonio press conference that migrants were causing “carnage” at the border, adding that “people are being threatened with guns daily.” He offered no supporting data for either claim because there was none.
This is also the same assclown who, during the heat of last year’s election campaign, repeatedly invoked “invasion” rhetoric similar to that in a fundraising letter he sent out a day before the 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting that left 23 people dead. Before that rampage, the shooter posted a hate-filled screed about striking back against immigrant invaders.
There’s no reason to expect an authentic display of empathy from Abbott, a leader who’s repeatedly shown his willingness to grovel for the votes of white supremacists and those in the throes of anti-immigrant hysteria.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
