Abbott is playing to his base here. But during the Obama years, his decision to activate Texas Guard to monitor U.S. special operators on a routine training assignment gave official uplift to conspiracy theories that they were laying groundwork for martial law (they were not). https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1351334378337673218

That operation, you may recall: Jade Helm 15. It came and went quietly after the hullabaloo. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/04/29/as-conspiracy-theories-persist-governor-asks-texas-state-guard-to-monitor-militarys-operation-jade-helm-15/

Another who weighed in on the Jade Helm 15 conspiracies? Ted Cruz.

He publicly sought reassurances it was a normal training operation, even though it plainly was. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-02/ted-cruz-says-he-has-asked-the-pentagon-for-answers-on-jade-helm-15

"I understand the reason for concern and uncertainty," Ted Cruz said at the time. "Because when the federal government has not demonstrated itself to be trustworthy in this administration, the natural consequence is that many citizens don't trust what it is saying."

And here's the thing about Jade Helm: If Cruz and Abbott didn't weigh in, the conspiracy theories probably never get asked about in a serious way in a Pentagon news conference.

Here's then-SECDEF Ash Carter, answering a question about Abbott's comments: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10153474424120579