Texas Scorecard
Texas Scorecard
Uncut: A Conversation With Chad Prather
Loading
/

In this interview, Texas Scorecard sits down with media personality-turned-gubernatorial candidate Chad Prather. From years in the media as a talk show host to his stance on border security, Texas Scorecard shares the conversation.

 

A Brief Biography

Chad Prather, a Texas humorist and entertainer, is approaching the Republican primary for governor from a distinct corner of the political arena. Having never served in a publicly elected office, Prather throws caution to the wind to humorously expose inconsistencies in the ideology of his political opponents. He spent 20 years in radio and television, from the cab of his truck to the studio of The Blaze TV. 

COVID-19 Response

Prather cites how Gov. Abbott’s coronavirus mandates motivated him to challenge the incumbent. 

“We were at a dinner there in the Black Hills of South Dakota on July 2, 2020. Donald Trump Jr. was there, and a news notification came in on my phone that said that there was another mandate, another shutdown in the State of Texas, that was issued by Governor Abbott. He was deeming more businesses and more people non-essential. I just kind of had it at that point. I jokingly [said], ‘I don’t know if it was the glass of wine I was drinking or because I was with a Trump, but I took to Twitter and said I’m gonna run for governor in 2022.’”

“At the end of the day, I believe that as Texans, you’re still free and you will make the best decisions you need to make,” said Prather condemning Abbott’s 2020 lockdowns. “I don’t believe the Constitution was written to keep us healthy or keep us safe; it was written to keep us free.”

Prather says he rejects the emotional argument that getting vaccinated or wearing a mask is necessary to protect others. “When Hurricane Harvey hit, we didn’t have to be mandated to load our trucks up and take supplies south,” said Prather. “We did it because we’re Texans, and we love our neighbor, and we take care of each other.”

Prather furthered his argument against centralized government bureaucracy in Texas. “We’ve made little tyrants out of a lot of folks, whether it’s local school boards, city councils, elected judges, various municipal officials, superintendents, etc. We’ve got to make it harder for people to abuse the power that they have.”

In response to President Joe Biden’s recently announced vaccine mandate, Prather said he is strongly opposed.

“At the end of the day, we’re talking about the violation of people’s human bodies. There’s got to be a line drawn in the sand that says you can’t mandate that. These are the things that are getting farcical in terms of what we’re calling freedom. That’s not freedom, that’s coercion.” 

Border Security

When it comes to border security, Prather is unapologetic. “We’ve got to detect, we’ve got to deter, we’ve got to detain, we’ve got to deport. And at all costs, we’ve got to defend.” 

“We have got to enable the citizens of Texas to protect their lands, protect their borders, protect their properties. We’re in Texas and we’re not going to put up with invasion. This is a constitutional right that the governor has … in the case of an invasion when the federal government doesn’t defend the state, we have a right to defend our own.”

Prather also defended mounted Border Patrol agents in Del Rio.  

“When those border agents were being accused the other week, let me tell you, as governor of Texas, I would’ve been the first guy down there on horseback defending those border agents.” 

Property Taxes

Prather blames Greg Abbott and excessive spending for out-of-control property taxes in Texas.

“It starts at the top. We have got to cut spending. Spending in the State of Texas has increased by $48 billion in the last two terms of Greg Abbott. That’s untenable.”

“When God promised the land to his people in the Old Testament, he said it’s not gonna be taxed because the land was the promise. These days, we’ve got seventh-generation ranchers wanting to pass their land on to their children, and that promise is being taken from them because they can’t afford the property taxes. We’re disinheriting the next generation of Texas, and that’s unfortunate.”

Although opposed to rising property taxes in Texas, Prather stopped short of specifics on a plan to abolish them.

“It’s a complex issue. That’s going to take complex models to be able to do that. But at the end of the day, it is also a conviction of mine.”

Abortion

“For me, the Heartbeat Bill is a step in the right direction, but I believe in the abolition of abortion. Controversial as that may sound, I don’t believe calling it ‘abortion’ cleans up the act of murder in any way, shape, or form,” Prather said of the recent Heartbeat Act, which has stopped thousands of abortions in Texas in just over a month. 

He also pointed out inconsistencies in the pro-abortion argument.

“[After conception], the DNA of a human being is immediately imprinted on that person; that DNA is there for the rest of their life. If we were to discover that on … Mars, we would spend tens of trillions of dollars trying to protect that life.”

Prather specified that he does not believe exceptions for rape are beneficial for women.

“I don’t think we can continue to expect God’s blessing or providence if we defend such a thing. … Look, the guilt of murder on top of the ignominy of rape does not help a woman.”

“I believe protection of that innocent life is what’s most important,” he added.

The Fight Ahead

Prather acknowledges the hefty opposition he faces.

“What I remind people [of] is that when Greg Abbott raised $18.7 million in the 10 days following the initial general session, that’s not mom-and-pop money. I hope he spends every dime of it, but at the end of the day, that doesn’t represent the blue-collar working person, the average Texan.”

“I think it’s time we have an Austin tea party. It’s time to realize that we’re not being represented in Austin anymore. That’s the problem, right there: Austin’s not like Texas. It’s time to make a change on that.”

Interview summary written by Griffin White.

THE LATEST

Episode 153: Texas’ School Choice Fiasco

Last Friday, the Texas House of Representatives killed an effort to bring school choice to Texans. On this week’s Liberty Café, Bill talks about why killing the proposal was actually […]

Centralization of Power in Texas Government

Last week Texans voted to increase state spending by $13.8 billion. This week on the Liberty Cafe, Bill looks at how this will centralize power in Texas government at the […]

11/2/23 RIP: School Choice is Dead in Texas (for now)

-The House kills school choice efforts yet again, despite the push by Gov. Greg Abbott -Lawmakers accuse House Speaker Dade Phelan of violating the constitution -600,000 known ‘Gotaways’ reported at […]