Allen West, a Texas GOP gubernatorial candidate and former state Republican Party chairman, told Newsmax on Friday that progressive crime policies are leading to a rise in ''lawlessness'' and the ''complete breakdown'' of the country.
''You see a complete breakdown of the rule of law, and law and order here in Texas, and New York, and all across the United States of America, and it's because of the policies of [the] progressive, socialist left,'' West said on ''Eric Bolling: The Balance.''
''I don't know what it's going to take. How many murders, or how much lack of safety security, but the policies of the left, this chaos, and this confusion, this lawlessness, it's not working for Americans [and] is not working for Texas,'' he said.
West, a military veteran and former member of Congress, blamed policies such as judicial activism and bail reform for rising crime in Texas.
West said that if elected governor, he would hold judges accountable for letting criminals back out on the street with a promise to appear so they can commit other crimes.
''As governor of Texas, I would use that [State Constitution] Article 15, Section 8, to hold accountable these judges that are releasing these criminals,'' he said. ''We have the same problem here in Texas, and Dallas County, Travis County, Harris County, which is Houston, and also Bexar County.
West also pointed to the lack of enforcement of immigration law at the southern border, where record numbers of migrants have entered the United States illegally, only to be detained briefly, then transported around the nation, he said.
''The law is not being upheld, and the criminals understand that, just the same as being down here on the border, [the left-wingers] don't want to secure the border,'' he said. ''In Brownsville, Texas, all of these single, military-age males were released and allowed to travel all across the United States of America.''
West is among eight other Republicans challenging Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the March 1 primary, with the winner going on to the November general election.
Former presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke is among the five Democrats seeking that party's nomination in the primary, according to Ballotpedia.
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