Governor Abbott Fundraises After Sending Texas Troops to Chicago

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began fundraising off his decision to send Texas National Guard troops to Chicago, less than a day after announcing the deployment at President Donald Trump’s request.

Abbott wrote a post on X, where he framed the move as defending the country with pride, even as the Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, condemned the deployment as an act against the law.

After authorizing up to 400 troops for deployment, Abbott posted a photo of soldiers boarding planes.

From Deployment to Donations

As reported by The Houston Chronicle, by Tuesday, his campaign had sent another message promoting Abbott’s decision to “support President Trump’s mission” and asking supporters to “rush a donation of any amount.” Donors were offered a free “Make America Texas” drink cooler.

On Wednesday, his campaign sent another message linking the Chicago deployment to border security efforts in Texas.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Abbott said, “Texas has the most proven, the largest, the best-trained National Guard in the United States of America.” He then added, “it’s only natural, by extension, that if there’s a need for that elite National Guard to provide assistance anywhere in the entire country, that it would be the National Guard called upon.”

Illinois leaders have pushed back forcefully. Gov. Pritzker called the deployment “an invasion” and urged Abbott to reverse the decision. 

Pritzker and Illinois Leaders Push Back

Illinois has also filed a lawsuit to block the deployment. State officials argue it is part of what they call Trump’s “long-declared ‘War on Chicago and Illinois.’”

The Houston Chronicle reports that, as of October 9, the Pentagon, the Texas Military Department, and Abbott’s office have not confirmed the specific duties of the deployed troops.

Abbott is seeking a fourth term as governor in 2026. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, his campaign reported having over $86 million on hand as of July. Houston businessman Andrew White, son of former Gov. Mark White, is the only prominent Democrat currently in the race.