Texas Governor Greg Abbott says vetting National Guard for political beliefs is 'the most offensive thing' he's ever heard

Texas Governor Gregg Abbott said that vetting National Guard troops, more than 1,000 of whom are from Texas, is "the most offensive thing" he's "ever heard."

"No one should ever question the loyalty or professionalism of the Texas National Guard," he said in a tweet. "I authorized more than 1,000 to go to DC. I'll never do it again if they are disrespected like this."

Abbott, along with every other governor in the nation sent National Guard troops to Washington, DC to secure the capital for the inauguration of President-elect Biden on Wednesday.

The The FBI announced their intention to screen some 25,000 National Guard troops who are in the capital for the inauguration over concerns that the troops pose a threat to the incoming president and the transition formalities.

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) went further that just to say that troops should be vetted for their past activities but said that Guard member's white maleness is problematic because it indicates that many of them may have voted for Trump.

"You gotta figure that in the Guard, which is predominantly more conservative, I see that on my social media, we know it. They're probably not more than 25 percent of the people that are there protecting us who voted for Biden. The other 75 percent are in the class that would be in the large class of folks who might want to do something.

"And there were military people and police who took oaths to defend the constitution and to protect and defend who didn't do it and were in the insurrection," and Cohen went on to tout the vetting process of the National Guard troops.

"To have voted for Trump doesn't make you an insider threat, that's far different from being an inside threat to violence," CNN's Jim Acosta fired back, asking "Is there anything you've seen to substantiate just how broad this insider threat may be, if it exists?"

Abbott took personal offense on behalf of his state, and does not believe that the National Guard's loyalty should be questioned. So far, two National Guard members were removed from active service in Washington, although the details are not yet known.