Texas independence campaigners are making waves at the ongoing Republican Party of Texas Convention in San Antonio, declaring their intent to “take over” the event.
On Thursday, the Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM) shared photographs on X, formerly known as Twitter, of supporters holding signs reading “TEXIT NOW!” inside the convention center. Nate Smith, the group’s executive vice president, also addressed the attendees.
“Texit,” a term inspired by “Brexit,” refers to the movement advocating for Texas to leave the United States and become an independent nation. The TNM is pushing for a referendum on this issue. Earlier this year, the group claimed to have gathered a petition with 139,456 signatures, urging the state GOP to include the question on its March primary ballot. However, the party rejected it, stating that “the vast majority of petition signatures were invalid.”
The TNM posted a photo on Facebook showing at least 16 pro-independence signs inside the convention center, with the caption: “The TNM is taking over the Republican Party of Texas Convention. We are here and we are making an IMPACT to ensure the RPT listens to the will of the voters who want TEXIT now!”
The convention, which began on Thursday, is scheduled to end on Saturday.
On its official website, the group stated: “TNM leaders actively engaged with delegates and attendees throughout the convention, presenting a meticulously structured case for TEXIT. They outlined numerous benefits of independence, such as economic prosperity, self-governance, and tailored policies that meet Texans’ unique needs. This strategic engagement was crucial, aiming to educate and persuade key decision-makers within the Republican Party to endorse a referendum on Texas independence.”
During his speech, Smith highlighted that 33 Texas Republican senatorial district conventions have passed resolutions calling for “a Texas independence referendum as a legislative priority.” He received audible cheers when he asked, “How many people in this room support Texit? Look behind you. We’re not fringe.”
Smith continued, “139,000 Republican Texas primary voters signed a petition asking to put this on the ballot and it was denied by this party. Please correct that wrong, please respect the will of your Republican primary voters and look at the language we’re about to submit to you to amend one of the ones you’ve put countless hours in on.”
However, not all attendees were convinced. One person asked, “Why is what you propose not treason?” Smith replied, “Because there’s nothing in the U.S. Constitution which prohibits a state from leaving the Union.”
Newsweek reached out to the Republican Party of Texas via an online press inquiry form and TNM President Daniel Miller via X direct message for comment.
The Republic of Texas was an independent sovereign state from 1836 to 1845, following its declaration of independence from Mexico. It included modern-day Texas and parts of present-day New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming. Texas joined the United States as the 28th state on December 29, 1845, which contributed to the events leading to the Mexican-American War.
A survey conducted in February for Newsweek found that in a hypothetical independence referendum, 23 percent of Texans would vote for the state to become “an independent country,” while 67 percent would support Texas remaining “a state within the United States.”
Joshua Blank, a political scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, told Newsweek in December that he didn’t believe Texas could leave the U.S. peacefully. “I think history has made clear that there is no plausible scenario in which Texas could peacefully extract itself from the United States, even were that the will of its populace—which there is no indication of to my knowledge,” Blank said.