The question facing Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas at a news conference on Tuesday was whether he would call for an investigation into possible failures surrounding the deadly floods, which include a lack of state and local spending on flood control measures and warning systems.
To answer, Mr. Abbott said asking about blame was “the word choice of losers,” and then invoked a beloved Texas tradition — football — as he deflected questions about accountability for a disaster that has left at least 111 people dead and more than 170 missing.
“Every square inch of our state cares about football,” Mr. Abbott said, referring to the Friday night lights of high school fields and the state’s college and pro teams. “Every football team makes mistakes,” he added.
Extending the metaphor further, the governor said losing teams assigned blame while championship teams responded to mistakes by saying: “We got this. We’re going to make sure that we go score again, that we win this game.”
Mr. Abbott, a Republican, said the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature would be investigating the flash floods in Central Texas and discussing how to prevent their recurrence when state lawmakers meet for a special session later this month.
But he and other prominent Republicans have pushed back against critics who have called for investigations into unfilled staff positions at National Weather Service offices in Texas, or a lack of emergency warning systems along the Guadalupe River.
On Monday, Representative Chip Roy, a Republican who represents the devastated area, said “finger pointing generally is just offensive when you’re dealing with trying to find bodies, and trying to deal with families grieving.” Senator Ted Cruz similarly scolded anyone “trying to blame their political opponents for a natural disaster.”
President Trump, who excoriated the Democrats in California for their response to wildfires in Los Angeles and the Biden administration for its response to Hurricane Helene during the 2024 campaign, has offered only support to the leadership in Texas. And the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, rebuked critics for raising questions about the administration’s efforts to shrink federal disaster agencies.
Jack Healy is a Phoenix-based national correspondent for The Times who focuses on the politics and climate of the Southwest. He has worked in Iraq and Afghanistan and is a graduate of the University of Missouri’s journalism school.
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