Former President Donald Trump has spoken up in defense of recently impeached Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, one of his closest political allies in the state.
Trump took other Republicans, including Texas Governor Abbott and Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont), to task for their alleged lack of support for Paxton.
On Saturday, the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Paxton for alleged bribery, dereliction of duty, disregard of official duty, and obstruction of justice, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Trump took to Truth Social to criticize Abbott and the Republicans that voted to impeach the attorney general.
Addressing Abbott just hours after the House voted to impeach, Trump wrote, “MISSING IN ACTION! Where is the Governor of Texas on his Attorney General’s Impeachment?”
Trump reserved particular venom for House Speaker Dade Phelan, whom he accused of being a RINO, or ‘Republican in name only,’ for leading the impeachment of Paxton.
“The RINO Speaker of the House of Texas, Dade Phelan, who is barely a Republican at all and failed the test on voter integrity, wants to impeach one of the most hard working and effective Attorney Generals in the United States, Ken Paxton, who just won re-election with a large number of American Patriots strongly voting for him. You would think that any issue would have been fully adjudicated by the voters of Texas, especially when that vote was so conclusive …” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Of the House members voting to impeach, Democrats outnumbered Republicans, even though Republicans control both chambers of the legislature. There were not enough Republicans alone to successfully impeach Paxton.
Speaker Phelan has provoked criticism of conservatives, such as Austin attorney Tony McDonald, who said he facilitated the impeachment of a political rival at the expense of passing laws impacting issues high on Texans’ wish list, including property tax reform and border security.
Ken Paxton was one of the ex-president’s most steadfast supporters and courtroom advocates when Trump accused Democrats in battleground states across the country of gaming the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden was ultimately declared the winner.