The GOP candidate had said last week that states could secede if they felt the need to do so.
Nikki Haley, fresh off her Civil War history refresher on this week’s Saturday Night Live, appeared to remember what the Constitution allowed when it comes to state secession: nothing.
Haley again walked back her comments saying states could choose if they wanted to secede from the U.S., telling CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that she didn’t believe the Constitution afforded them that right. It came days after she told radio host Charlamagne tha God that states like Texas could “make the decisions that their people want to make.”
“According to the Constitution, they can’t,” Haley told CNN. “What I think they have the right to do is have the power to protect themselves and do all that. Texas has talked about that for a long time. The Constitution doesn’t allow for that.”
The GOP presidential candidate then tried to pivot to why Texas would consider such an option, citing Gov. Greg Abbott’s frustration with the Biden administration’s handling of the Southern border and the state’s desire to protect itself.
Thing is, actual secession would absolutely destroy Greg Abbott’s power machine, which depends on Texas having outsized legislative control over the other 49 states, not to mention all the sweet federal cash that would instantly dry up right when their international border would expand from one side to all sides.
No. They want to stir shit up, destabilize voters, hinder political discourse, and ultimately grab authoritarian power, but they do NOT want to secede. That’s the LAST thing they want. But they say this shit to get everyone riled up and feeling threatened by it, because people that are riled up with fear and anger are easier to control with bad-faith commentary and propaganda.
So while it is possible that the dog will finally catch the car – like they did with abortion – not only is there zero legal route to Texas secession, even those who claim to want it really do NOT and would absolutely shit their kecks if everyone else in the union went, “Okay then. Bye, Felicia.”
I hope this helps. There’s enough to worry about without that as well. See it as the two-faced Russian-paid political bad actor bullshit it is.
I’m not actually worried that it would happen, and I agree with all your points; fear-mongering is their bread and butter. But thanks for taking the effort to reassure a stranger!
In a nearby parallel universe I’m simultaneously packing my bags and choking on my laughter from my front-row seat 🤣