BREAKING: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Blasts New Yorkers Fleeing “Chaos They Voted For” — Jokes About 100% Tariff on Mamdani Migrants

Austin, TX — November 6, 2025** — The Lone Star State’s governor didn’t mince words—or hold back his wit—as he took aim at the exodus of New Yorkers eyeing Texas as their escape hatch from progressive policies. In a viral X post that has racked up over 17 million views, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) jokingly threatened to impose a “100% tariff” on anyone fleeing New York City after its mayoral election, where democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani emerged victorious on Tuesday night. “After the polls close tomorrow night, I will impose a 100% tariff on anyone moving to Texas from NYC,” Abbott posted on November 3, just hours before polls opened in the Empire State. The quip, laced with trademark Abbott sarcasm, underscored a deeper frustration: “New Yorkers need to fix their own city—not ruin ours.” With Mamdani’s win now official—defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo by 9 points in a historic upset that installs the city’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor—Abbott’s message resonates louder than ever. As migration data shows Texas absorbing 137,000 net newcomers from high-tax blue states like New York in 2024 alone, the governor’s barb highlights a national rift: booming red states versus crumbling blue ones, and the irony of liberals seeking conservative havens after voting for the very “chaos” they decry.

Abbott’s post, timed with surgical precision on the eve of New York’s election, was no off-the-cuff tweet—it was a calculated shot across the bow of blue-state exodus. Mamdani, the 34-year-old Queens assemblyman whose campaign blended rent freezes, free public transit, and a “polluter pays” tax on luxury towers, clinched 55% of the vote against Cuomo’s independent bid and Republican Curtis Sliwa’s distant third. His platform—universal childcare, a $25 minimum wage, and city-run grocery stores—drew cheers from progressives but howls from moderates fearing a “socialist hellhole.” Trump, who reluctantly endorsed Cuomo on November 3, warned of an “invasion of common sense” if Mamdani won. Abbott, monitoring from the Governor’s Mansion, seized the moment to troll: “If you can’t stand what you created, fix it. Don’t bring it here.” The post exploded, garnering 126,000 likes and 13,000 comments, many from Texans echoing, “Build the wall—around NYC!”

The governor’s frustration isn’t baseless—it’s backed by a torrent of migration stats painting Texas as America’s golden escape. From 2021 to 2025, the Lone Star State netted over 1.2 million domestic migrants, second only to Florida, per U.S. Census data, with New York contributing 3.36% of its outflow—roughly 70,000 souls—to Texas alone. In 2024, Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth topped the charts for New York transplants, with 19,000 arrivals citing “no state income tax” and “affordable housing” as lures. New York’s net loss? A staggering 200,000 residents since 2022, driven by sky-high rents (up 25% post-COVID) and taxes that devour 14% of median income. Abbott, whose policies slashed property taxes by $18 billion and lured Tesla’s Gigafactory, sees hypocrisy in the influx: “These folks voted for high taxes and sanctuary cities—now they want Texas’s low costs and law-and-order? No thanks.” In a follow-up interview on Fox & Friends, he doubled down: “Texas is thriving under strong conservative leadership. We’re not about to let the failures of blue-state policies follow them south.”

Abbott’s tariff jest taps into a well-worn conservative meme, but it’s rooted in real policy friction. Since 2021, Texas has absorbed 450,000 net migrants from blue states like New York, California, and Illinois, boosting GDP by $150 billion but straining infrastructure—schools up 12%, roads clogged 15%. A 2025 United Van Lines study ranked Texas #2 for inbound moves, with 58% citing “economic opportunity” and 22% “retirement”—many fleeing New York’s 8.82% combined tax rate versus Texas’s zero income tax. Yet, Abbott’s “100% tariff” quip—echoing Trump’s trade wars—drew laughs and lawsuits threats. Legal eagles like Texas AG Ken Paxton dismissed it as “hyperbole,” but critics pounced: Ed Krassenstein called it “unconstitutional bigotry,” while Valentina Gomez, a GOP congressional hopeful, urged focus on “lowering property taxes first.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office fired back: “We’re good.”

Mamdani’s win amplifies the irony. The socialist firebrand—son of filmmaker Mira Nair and scholar Mahmood Mamdani—promised a “people’s agenda”: rent caps at 2%, free buses, and a wealth tax on billionaires like Michael Bloomberg. Exit polls showed 72% turnout, the highest since 1997, with Gen Z (68% for Mamdani) and Latinos (62%) powering his coalition. Cuomo, the scandal-scarred ex-gov who bolted the Democratic primary after a 12-point drubbing, conceded bitterly: “New Yorkers chose socialism over sanity.” Trump, golfing at Bedminster, tweeted: “Rigged! Mamdani’s a commie—New Yorkers, flee to Texas… but Abbott’s right, pay up!” A Daily Mail survey predicted 765,000 NYC exits if Mamdani won—many eyeing Austin’s median home at $450,000 vs. Brooklyn’s $1.2 million.

Texas’s boom contrasts sharply. Under Abbott, the state added 473,000 jobs in 2024, unemployment at 3.9%, and GDP surpassing $2.4 trillion—eclipsing New York’s $2.1 trillion. No income tax saves newcomers $10,000 annually; school choice vouchers and abortion bans (post-Roe) draw families. Florida, Abbott’s Sun Belt sibling, netted 85,000 migrants in 2024, but Texas leads with 137,000—many from NY’s exodus. “Vote red where you live, or stay put,” Abbott urged in a Dallas Morning News op-ed, touting Texas’s “energy independence” amid NY’s Con Ed blackouts.

Backlash brews, but so does applause. Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer (R-FL) welcomed NY transplants: “We’re planning for the exodus—enthusiasm is high.” AOC slammed Abbott: “Xenophobic nonsense—New Yorkers built America; Texas needs our grit.” Polls show 62% of Texans support Abbott’s stance, with 71% of Republicans agreeing “blue-state policies are toxic.” As U-Haul rates from NYC to Austin spike 40%, Abbott’s message lands: Fix the chaos you voted for—or pay the (joking) toll. In America’s great migration, Texas stands firm: Welcome, but wise up.