Abbott Compares Deadly Flood Response to Football, Critics Call It Insensitive

As Texas continues to grapple with the aftermath of devastating Hill Country floods, Governor Greg Abbott made clear he expects lawmakers to investigate the disaster, but stopped short of supporting questions about who may be responsible for the tragic loss of life.

When asked by reporters Tuesday whether investigations would identify who is to blame for the nearly 300 people dead or missing, Abbott objected to the framing.

“You asked — I’m going to use your words — ‘who’s to blame,’” Abbott responded. “Know this, that’s the word choice of losers.”

The governor then compared the situation to football. “Every football team makes mistakes,” he said. “The losing teams are the ones that try to point out who’s to blame. The championship teams are the ones that say, ‘Don’t worry about it, man, we’ve got this.’” He concluded: “The way winners talk is not to point fingers. They talk about solutions. What Texas is all about is solutions.”

The remarks came as emergency crews were still working to locate more than 160 missing residents. Abbott emphasized that the state’s immediate focus remains on search and rescue, not fault-finding.

Still, the analogy drew criticism. Critics pointed out that even successful football teams rely heavily on data and game analysis to evaluate mistakes and improve. Some questioned whether Abbott’s comments blurred the line between blame and accountability.

State Representative Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio) expressed concern over the governor’s tone. “Over 100 people are dead – including dozens of children – and the governor is using a football analogy,” Bernal wrote on X. “Texans are not that stupid. We aren’t dogs you distract by tossing a stick. We believe in accountability. THAT is the language of leaders.”