'This Week' Transcript 8-23-26: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
This is a rush transcript of "This Week" airing Sunday, August 23.
A rush transcript of "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" airing on Sunday, August 23, 2026 on ABC News is below. This copy may not be in its final form, may be updated and may contain minor transcription errors. For previous show transcripts, visit the "This Week" transcript archive.
JONATHAN KARL: Governor Abbott, thank you for having us.
GOV. GREG ABBOTT: Great to have you in Texas.
KARL: So how much anger and concern are you hearing out there about data centers?
ABBOTT: So listen what we've been focused on is responding to concerns that have been raised about data centers and making sure that we have created a structure that's going to do more than any state to solve the problem. As governor, I have outlined the greatest detail and most comprehensive plan of any governor in the United States of America to respond to the data center challenge. Let me tell you what I've done. I have pressed pause on any new data center, being able to join the operations in the state of Texas.
KARL: And other governors have done the same.
ABBOTT: Well, here's the deal. During that pause, I have set guidelines and guardrails that all data centers have to comply with. Number one, they must identify what water usage they're demanding and make clear they are not taking water from communities that need it. Number two, they must not take power from the Texas power grid that's needed. Number three, they must actually lower the cost of electricity for consumers. Number four, they need to make sure that they are not disturbing neighborhoods or rural communities. These are standards that are now being universally applied by all the data centers in the state of Texas.
KARL: But you're-- I mean we see it not just in Texas, we see it all over the country. I mean some of these town hall meetings, some of these public hearings, real anger. What is driving it? Is it the energy costs? Is it the-- what is driving the anger?
ABBOTT: So--
KARL: You're out there talking to people.
ABBOTT: One thing is the rapidity that these data centers are coming online, that people didn't see coming. The other is the way that the data centers, they didn't do their job to get the support of people in local communities. Gaining the support of people in local communities is essential. Because they did not do that, that's why I am now coming in as governor saying listen, if you're a data center and you want to operate in Texas, you have to first get the approval of those in local communities.
KARL: In the community, that makes sense.
ABBOTT: And that's why I set that standard.
KARL: But--
ABBOTT: No data centers disturbing local communities in Texas.
KARL: It was last year that you said that Texas was the epicenter of the AI industry. In hindsight, did Texas move too fast?
ABBOTT: It wasn't Texas that was moving fast, it was these data centers.
KARL: But they needed approval from, you know, from in-- from the government.
ABBOTT: Well, so what data centers we're doing, and this is the problem that we are facing here in Texas, but you mentioned what's going on nationally.
KARL: Sure.
ABBOTT: And that is, they pop up in places that nobody ever heard of before, until they started the construction. And so, they had not been working in collaboration with the state, they'd not been in collaboration with local governments, and so they basically dug their own grave for the problem that's been caused for them and that's why they got the backlash they deserve. And that's why these new standards are in place to make sure they're not going to be able to operate until they come into compliance with the standards that I have set.
KARL: The approvals here in this state happened with astonishing speed. I mean, the New York Times recently went through some of this. One massive power plant for a Meta data center approved in 20 days, another in just three days, and another in two days. I mean, was that a mistake?
ABBOTT: Well, so the way that it works in Texas, they didn't get approvals from the state of Texas--
KARL: They had to get approvals to build those power plants to power their data centers.
ABBOTT: So to actually begin the data center, they don't need to get approval from the State of Texas, which is the way the law currently works. One thing that they would need to do, eventually, is to get the approval to plug into the power grid. However, in Meta, for example, out in El Paso, they are outside the Texas power grid there. And so they weren't required to be a part of getting the approval from the power grid. That said--
KARL: So there was like no public notice, there was no approval.
ABBOTT: Well no-- there was at the local level there in El Paso. However, because my guidelines and guardrails that I've set up are so clear, the Meta data center in El Paso, which is outside the Texas power grid area, they have announced they will be in full compliance with the guardrails and guidelines that I've set out.
KARL: So this is happening in the backdrop, obviously, of the midterm elections.
Let me ask you the way Trump put it recently, just not that long ago. He said that voters in the country are angry at Republicans. And he said it twice. He emphasized it. It's not anger at him, angry at the Republicans. Is he right?
ABBOTT: Well, I can speak for Texas, not these other states. And what I know very well in Texas is the attitude of Republicans, and what matters most is where their mindset is going to be on election day. On election day--
KARL: But I'm talking about right now. How does it feel right now out there?
ABBOTT: Listen, what matters in elections is not in August, what matters in elections is November. And I know what's gonna happen in November, and that is there's a choice at the ballot box. And when those voters go in, they're going to choose between common sense that's offered by Republicans versus the crazy that's offered by the Democrats.
KARL: So, you travel the state a lot. What do you hear from voters in places like Abilene? When you get out there and they see Trump building, wanting to build the ballroom, talking about it almost every day, showing off his new helipad, talking about building a big arch, putting all the gold around. I mean, is that the kind of stuff that voters want the President of the United States to be focused on?
ABBOTT: I was with voters from Abilene last night--.
KARL: Ok there you go.
ABBOTT: And I pressed them repeatedly, I said, tell me how things are going, what are your thoughts, are you guys happy, what do you like? These people were ebullient, they said they could never be happier, they're so excited about being in Texas, they are excited about the growth, the economic growth that we have in our state, they excited about their community, and so I kept pressing to see if there was maybe any soft spot whatsoever.
KARL: Maybe this was a self-chosen crowd that are coming to see you. I mean, you see it, that there's anxiety not just in Texas, but all across the country. I mean concerns about prices, concerns about where the economy is going. And I'm just asking, I mean when you see the president out there talking about all the money he's, you know, wants spent at the White House to make it more beautiful, I mean do people want that?
ABBOTT: So let's be clear.
KARL: It's a lot of time, you have to admit it's a lot of time that he's just the other day 40 minutes he was out there showing off his helipad.
ABBOTT: And let's be clear about something else, and that is, listen, with regard to anxiety by voters, there are two components to that. One is, I know for a fact, in Texas, voters are very concerned about this expansion of these socialistic ideas by people like Mamdani and all the Mamdani acolytes. And in Texas the last thing that we want to have happen is to have a Mamdani acolyte get elected to office in the state of Texas. And yet, that's exactly what's being offered by the Democrats on the statewide ticket--.
KARL: But I'm asking you right now--.
ABBOTT: The same ideology of Mamdani is on the ballot box in the state of Texas.
KARL: But I'm asking you about what Trump is doing. Let me just ask you very specifically on the question of keeping prices down, which is obviously a central part of the campaign that we saw last time. What grade would you give him on keeping prices down?
ABBOTT: Well, I'll answer that, but in the context of your question, what I'm hearing on the campaign trail, people are not talking to me about Trump. We're talking about the contrast that exists between Republicans and Democrats in Texas. One thing, of course, with regard to prices, everyone wants to see the price of oil go down. They want to see what the price of what they pay at the pump go down, and that is one thing that we're working to address. Candidly, one of the things I've been working on in my campaign is I have the most robust campaign platform to provide affordability to people in the state of Texas, lowering housing costs, lowering healthcare costs, lowering auto insurance costs, lowering the cost of living in a home by slashing property taxes in the state of Texas. And so we are providing answers and solutions to our fellow Texans that don't have anything to do whatsoever--.
KARL:So what grade would you--.
ABBOTT: With what's going on in Washington, D.C.
KARL: So what grade would you give him?
ABBOTT: Depends on what category you're talking about.
KARL: I said about keeping prices low.
ABBOTT: Well listen, we all need to have prices lowered, especially at the price at the pump. And I think the president is on a track to get us there.
KARL: So you said recently that the price of gas in Texas would be below $2 by the end of the summer. Are voters gonna punish you and other Republicans if it's not? Because right now, the average is $3.60 a gallon here in Texas. And we're halfway through August, more than halfway through.
ABBOTT: So when voters go vote in November, they will vote on contrast and make a choice about do they want the Republican or the Democrat candidate. And the answer to that is far more complex than just one price point about oil.
KARL: Yeah, but you said it was going to be below $2.
ABBOTT: I get that. But also I say that I want safe communities, whereas our opponents, they vote to defund the police. I say that I want to cut taxes where our opponents they'll jack up costs far more than the price of gas. Our opponents, they voted for a state income tax. They voted for a death tax. They voted to increase property taxes. When voters realize that, when these Democrats want to increase property taxes--
KARL: And they're not gonna mind if gas is still over $3 a gallon?
ABBOTT: [CROSSTALK] Let me tell you what, the cost of what Texans are paying because of property taxes is outrageously high and it's the Democrats who voted to increase those property taxes even more.
KARL: Do you still think gas will be below $2 a gallon by the end of the summer?
ABBOTT: If the president maintains the current trajectory that he's on right now, they should be. And let me explain why. And that's because the kinetic battle with regard to Iran appears to be over as long as there's no missiles flying that threaten the Strait of Hormuz and things like that.
KARL: Okay, so I've heard from Republicans, Texas Republicans, who have real concerns about Ken Paxton, the nominee for Senate here for your party. They say he's not working hard enough. He's not raising money. He's got too much baggage. Do you share some of those concerns?
ABBOTT: Well, let's put it in context where Ken Paxton is in his campaign, and that is he was in a three-month-long runoff that demanded capital, it demanded campaigning, demanded his attention, and so he's just now catching up in the campaign process with Talarico. Listen, I've talked to him and we're working with him, and he knows clearly the contrast he's going to be able to show with Talarico. Talarico got away with something, and that is with Ken Paxton campaigning against John Cornyn as opposed to Talarico.
KARL: I mean, you're going to go after him hard, I have no doubt. Paxton's going to go after him hard, but I'm asking you about Paxton. I mean, when-- in that runoff, John Cornyn said he was the kiss of death for Republicans and for the Republican ticket in 2026, it would be an albatross on the party, said if he's the nominee we could well experience a massacre and the first Democrat elected statewide.
ABBOTT: Elections are about choices. And when voters go to make a choice on November the 3rd, the contrast they will see between Ken Paxton and James Talarico is so extraordinary. That choice is gonna be easy. And they'll be voting for Ken Paxton and they'll be voting against James Talarico.
KARL: Let me ask you about the future of the party. What happens after Trump? Is there an heir apparent, is it J.D. Vance?
ABBOTT: Listen, who knows that there's an heir apparent right now. What I can tell you is this. And that is the Republican bench is far stronger than the Democrat bench. And it's going to be a massive contrast for the next presidential election, where we have all of the DSA candidates, the Democrat Socialists of America, who are lining up to try to take over the next helm of the future of the Democrat Party. And they are trying to take America down a direction that Americans will solidly reject versus a great lineup of potential Republican candidates.
KARL: So you don't think Vance is the presumptive...
ABBOTT: I don't think anybody should be categorized as the presumptive nominee. What I can tell you is, J.D. would be a great candidate, Rubio would be great candidate. There are many governors who would be great candidates.
KARL: Are you going to run?
ABBOTT: Listen, I'm focused singularly on one thing, and that is winning my election here, representing the state of Texas.
KARL: But you don't--
ABBOTT: No, no listen. I was born in Texas, I was raised in Texas. My daily job is to fight for Texas. It means something to be a Texan. And my goal is to make sure we live up to that standard and keep Texas, Texas.
KARL: You're running for an unprecedented fourth term. You're not going to run for a fifth, are you, if you win this time?
ABBOTT: But you know, as Trump says, I may run for a fifth term, or sixth term, seventh term, who knows.
KARL: You don't have term limits. He does...
ABBOTT: Bottom line is this, and that is, I look at only what is right in front of me. Now, what's right in front of me is making sure that I do my part, not just to win the election, I do my part to make sure that we keep Texas, Texas.
KARL: Alright, Governor Abbott, thank you very much, appreciate your time.
ABBOTT: You got it. Thank you. Good to have you here.
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