Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday publicly dared New York City Mayor Eric Adams to "make my day" by following through with his threat to send New Yorkers to campaign against his re-election for sending busloads of asylum seekers to the Big Apple, the New York Post reported.
Abbott vowed to continue sending the migrants, saying Adams was only "getting a taste" of what border communities have been dealing with in Texas since President Joe Biden entered office.
Abbott's remarks came just hours after three charter buses he hired dropped off almost 100 migrants outside the Port Authority terminal in Manhattan, adding to the some 70 who arrived over the weekend.
In response to Adams' threat Tuesday that he was "deeply contemplating taking a busload of New Yorkers to go to Texas and do some good, old-fashioned door-knocking" against Abbott, the Republican governor told Fox News, "You know, I kind of feel like Clint Eastwood. Go ahead, mayor. Make my day."
Abbott added there "could hardly be anything better" for him than for Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke to be "aided by a bunch of New Yorkers," stressing "that will not be viewed very positively by the state of Texas."
Adams responded to Abbott's taunts by saying, "I know he thinks he's Clint Eastwood, but he's not. He is an anti-American governor that is really going against everything we stand for," the New York Post reported. "And I am going to do everything feasible to make sure Texans, the people of Texas, realize how harmful he is to us globally."
Adams pointed out that "all of us - and I'm sure if [Abbott] goes into his lineage, he came from somewhere. And if his ancestors were treated the way he's treating these asylum seekers and migrants, then he would not be where he is right now."
Adams also called on New Yorkers to help the migrants, saying that "if anyone in the city sees someone that they believe needs the assistance, we're asking them to point them and direct them to the intake centers."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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