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 wa