Texas
Haley Walks Back Bizarre Texas Secession Comment: ‘Nobody’s Going to Do That’
Nikki Haley was forced to clean up a bizarre gaffe Thursday after claiming during an interview that she would let Texas secede from the United States if elected president.
Following her comments Wednesday, she told Fox News that the question—and her answer—was merely a hypothetical that would never happen, despite the fact that tensions between Texas officials and President Joe Biden’s administration are as strained as ever.
Haley was criticized heavily for the comments she made Wednesday during a podcast interview with Charlamagne tha God, in which she said of Texas: “If that whole state says we don’t want to be part of America anymore, I mean, that’s their decision to make.”
The statement came in response to a question about whether Haley—if she wins the presidency—would use force against Texas if ever tried to leave the U.S.
On Thursday, however, Haley was adamant her opinion on the legality of secession is irrelevant until a state realistically shows interest in doing so.
“It’s not about secession,” she said. “Nobody’s going to do that. That’s not what people are talking about.”
That’s not entirely true, however, even if succession chatter has mostly been confined to the more far-right corners of the internet.
Texas has been in a standoff with the federal government for weeks after it began to to put up razor wire along the southern U.S. border near Eagle Pass, an area that has seen a record number of crossing by migrants in recent months.
The Biden Administration then contested the state’s authority to do so all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that federal agents could cut down the wire—though it crucially did not instruct Texas to stop putting up the wire in the first place.
Since the standoff became headline news, scores of states led by conservative governors have shared their public support for Texas. Some have even sent national guard troops to aid state authorities attempting to enforce border laws usually handled by federal agencies.
When pressed to speak more about her thoughts on secession by Fox News, Haley pivoted to bashing President Joe Biden and suggesting he was the reason secession hypotheticals were mentioned in the first place.
“What should be the issue with Texas is, look, they are dealing with a terrible illegal immigration crisis,” Haley said. “The federal government, Joe Biden, is not being there for them. We should let them do whatever they need to, to keep Texans safe and to keep Texas protected. That’s the goal. That’s what we want to do.”
Haley insisted that her comments on secession were related to an old comment she made in 2010, where she also said states have the right to leave the union if their residents wish to.
States have only seceded from the U.S. once, a tide which began with Haley’s native South Carolina at the onset of the Civil War. Despite that act of secession being one of the biggest stains on U.S. history, Haley is adamant that states should have the right to do as they please.
“I don’t think government needs to tell people how to live, how to do anything,” she said on Wednesday’s podcast. “I mean, I think that we need to let freedom live.”
AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Wednesday he has secured a settlement of bankruptcy claims against genetic testing company 23andMe stemming from a 2023 data breach that exposed personal information, including some genetic ancestry data, of 6.9 million customers worldwide.
Paxton’s office said the settlement includes $150 million for a multistate coalition of 42 states. But because of limited funds in 23andMe’s bankruptcy estate and competing claims, the states’ recovery will be $18 million paid immediately, with Texas receiving $1,266,860.
23andMe disclosed in October 2023 that attackers had accessed accounts affecting 6.9 million consumers. Some of the information was later posted for sale on the dark web, according to Paxton’s office, which said the company learned of the breach months after the data became publicly available. The office said 23andMe initially denied a breach and later blamed consumers’ account settings and password practices.
Paxton joined a multistate investigation that concluded 23andMe used unreasonable security practices and failed to implement adequate safeguards against hacking, the office said.
23andMe filed for bankruptcy protection in March 2025. Paxton’s office said the settlement incorporates privacy and cybersecurity requirements, including enhanced security standards, comprehensive risk assessments and creation of an independent advisory board, along with enforcement of state privacy laws and continued consumer data deletion rights.
“Companies that collect and profit from Texans’ most personal information have a legal duty to protect it,” Paxton said in a statement.
The company also agreed to a $46.75 million class-action settlement in the bankruptcy case for affected U.S. consumers who submitted claims by Feb. 17, 2026, Paxton’s office said.
Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
The Texas Longhorns entered the 2025 season with more expectations than any team has had to deal with in recent memory.
Many among the media were ready to crown the team and quarterback Arch Manning before they even played one game. Of course, those unrealistic expectations were never met, even though the team finished with a 10-3 record and a Citrus Bowl win over the Michigan Wolverines.
2026 is heading in the same direction for the Longhorns. Many believe head coach Steve Sarkisian has the most talented team in the country. But in order to fix the issues from this past season, the Longhorns needed to fix one issue that has cost them in the past.
Changing The Narrative
One of the biggest issues the Longhorns had last season was the play of the offensive line. It was apparent in the first game of the season against the Ohio State Buckeyes that Manning didn’t have the pocket time needed to make big plays.
This offseason, Coach Sarkisian went out and found two massive transfer portal additions that should completely change the narrative on this offensive line.
It starts with potential starting right tackle Melvin Siani. Siani has spent time with the Temple Owls and last season with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
The Longhorns are set at left tackle with Trevor Goosby, who could play himself into being a top 10 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. If the team can get competent play from Siani, the offense will be able to open up the playbook, and the world may finally see Manning at his college peak.
The Longhorns also went out and found a potential fix at left guard for the 2026 season. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers transfer Laurence Seymore could be another strong patch for the holes in the offensive line.
After spending the first two seasons of his college career with the Miami Hurricanes, Seymore made stops with the Akron Zips and the Hilltoppers.
Of course, the one concern with Seymore is wondering if he can compete at the SEC level coming from the C-USA.
This season for the Longhorns starts and stops with the play of Manning. Coach Sarkisian and the rest of this coaching staff understood that protecting their quarterback was the most important goal when building the 2026 roster.
The Longhorns are going to be leaning on veteran talent to protect their quarterback, and it may very well be the best decision they made this offseason.
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