The Republican Party won’t be saved by excuses

Texas conservatives have long trusted the Republican Party to stand firm on core values: secure borders, parental rights, the Second Amendment, and limited government. We’ve delivered them power in Austin. But too many GOP lawmakers now serve corporate donors and media elites — not the grassroots conservatives who put them in office.

Texas may be a red state, but the last legislative session told a different story. Thirty-six Republican state lawmakers joined Democrats on critical votes that gutted conservative priorities. They campaign as fighters and govern as cowards — folding at the first whiff of media pressure or lobbyist resistance. That’s not leadership. That’s betrayal.

When Texas Republicans falter, they don’t just fail their state — they fail the country.

Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star generates headlines, but the border remains wide open. Despite the efforts of the Trump administration, cartels continue to move drugs and people freely across Texas soil. Ranchers continue to live in fear. Families bury loved ones lost to fentanyl. Texans demand action, but Austin delivers press releases.

Yes, regardless of the federal government’s efforts — and the Trump administration is certainly a refreshing change from Joe Biden —Texas has the constitutional authority to act. Where’s the declaration of invasion? Where’s the full mobilization? Leadership doesn’t mean deploying troops for photo ops. It means taking responsibility and enforcing the law.

It isn’t ‘culture war nonsense’

Parents across Texas want transparency. They want to know what their kids are learning, reading, and hearing in school — especially on issues of sex and gender. Some lawmakers have stepped up. Too many haven’t. They call it “culture war nonsense” while siding with school boards and bureaucrats who treat parents as threats.

Legislators who can’t stop minors from receiving irreversible medical procedures without parental consent don’t belong in conservative office. That’s not compromise. That’s surrender.

Don’t dismiss the Second Amendment

After every shooting, moderate Republicans float “reasonable restrictions.” But the Constitution doesn’t hedge. It says “shall not be infringed.”

Texans don’t want red-flag laws. They want their rights respected. When figures like Rep. Dan Crenshaw entertain policies that chip away at due process, they don’t look pragmatic. They look weak. If you won’t defend gun rights without apology, step aside.

Meme bills and muzzled dissent

Texas Republicans now flirt with speech regulation. One bill would have required registration for anonymous political memes — all in the name of fighting “disinformation.” That’s not governance. That’s control.

Conservatives believe in protecting anonymous speech because we remember what it’s for: dissent. Critique. Satire. These aren’t bugs in the system — they’re essential features. If Austin lawmakers wants to mirror D.C.'s, voters will start treating them the same way.

Contempt for the base

The real issue isn’t just policy. It’s culture. The GOP establishment in Austin feels more at home with lobbyists than with the voters who knock doors and fund their campaigns. Primary challengers get dismissed as “fringe,” even as the grassroots base grows louder — and angrier.

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Photo by Ben Sklar/Getty Images

Calls for term limits are rising. The appetite for bold reform is real. If Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) can deliver conservative wins in Florida, why can’t Texas? Why are we still making excuses?

This isn’t just about Texas

Texas shapes the national Republican Party. It drives presidential races and defines what the GOP stands for. When Texas Republicans falter, they don’t just fail their state — they fail the country.

As state Rep. Brian Harrison has shown, the last legislative session exposed serious cracks in the GOP foundation. Conservatives must respond: organize locally, show up at the Capitol, primary the cowards. An “R” isn’t a free pass. If you govern like a Democrat, expect to be treated like one.

Secure the border. Empower parents. Protect the Second Amendment. Defend free speech. Or get out of the way.

Texas doesn’t need more Republicans. It needs better ones.