Texas GOP powerbroker called on National Guard to "shoot to kill" rioters

As thousands around the country protested the police killing of George Floyd, a conservative Texas powerbroker and activist asked Gov. Greg Abbott in early June to instruct the National Guard to "shoot to kill" rioters, The Texas Tribune first reported yesterday.

What he's saying...Steve Hotze left this voicemail for Abbott's chief of staff and asked him to pass it on to the governor: "I want to make sure that [Gov. Abbott] has National Guard down here and they have the order to shoot to kill if any of these son-of-a-b---h people start rioting like they have in Dallas, start tearing down businesses — shoot to kill the son of a b------s. That’s the only way you restore order. Kill ‘em. Thank you."

• Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) tweeted Saturday that Hotze's comments are "absolutely disgusting and reprehensible."
• The Texas Tribune acquired the voicemail on Friday through a public information request.
• Hotze did not respond Saturday to Axios' request for comment.

Context: Hotze left the voicemail on the weekend of June 6 — several days after Abbott called on the National Gaurd to curtail protests that turned violent.

• Hotze is "one of the most prolific cultures warriors on the right in Texas," the Tribune writes.
• He has openly criticized Abbott's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Hotze has challenged Abbott's emergency orders in court, including a lawsuit against the recent statewide mask mandate.

The big picture: Law enforcement's response to the protests was criticized after thousands around the country poured into the streets to demonstrate against police brutality. Some of the starkest criticism came after military police and park rangers used physical force to clear a path for President Trump to cross Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C.

Editor's note: Updates with additional details, context.