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Texas national guardsmen say their mission to secure the border is a waste of time and resources
CNN
"They just see this as we're just used as political pawns for an election year," one soldier told CNN.
Last March, Abbott, who's up for reelection, launched "Operation Lone Star," citing a crisis at the US southern border. The operation -- which leaned on resources from Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard -- has swelled to more than 10,000 service members.
The speed at which the operation launched and its scope has fueled frustrations internally and among veterans of the Guard. Multiple members of the Guard who are deployed as part of Operation Lone Star and spoke to CNN described long hours with little to do, poor planning, and a lack of mission -- all of which, they say, are contributing to low morale among soldiers.
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In speeches, interviews, exchanges with reporters and posts on social media, the president filled his public statements not only with exaggerations but outright fabrications. As he did during his first presidency, Trump made false claims with a frequency and variety unmatched by any other elected official in Washington.