BENNETT: IS THE LONE STAR STATE TRYING TO BREAK AWAY?

THE TEXAS REPUBLICAN CONVENTION IS PUSHING A REFERENDUM FOR TEXANS TO DECIDE IN 2023 IF THE STATE SHOULD BECOME ITS OWN NATION

I KNOW WE’VE HEARD IT BEFORE

BUT COULD THEY ACTUALLY JUST CUT TIES AND SECEDE FROM THE UNION?

THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO – NOT LEGALLY AT LEAST 

IN FACT – THE U.S. FOUGHT AN ENTIRE WAR OVER THIS WHEN TEXAS AND OTHER SOUTHERN STATES VOTED TO SECEDE IN THE 1800S

IT KILLED OVER 750 THOUSAND AMERICANS AND ALL THE STATES TRYING TO DO IT – LOST

FOLLOWING THAT THE SUPREME COURT MADE CLEAR THAT INDIVIDUAL STATES DON’T HAVE THE POWER TO LEAVE – EVEN IF THEY WANTED TO

A YOUGOV SURVEY FOUND THAT ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF SOUTHERN REPUBLICANS SUPPORT THE IDEA OF BREAKING AWAY

SOMETHING LAW EXPERTS SAY WOULD QUITE LITERALLY MEAN WAR 

STATES ARE DEEPLY INTERTWINED WITH THE U.S. AS A WHOLE – SHARING EVERYTHING FROM JOBS, SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS TO MILITARY BASES AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE 

BUT ALL OF THAT ASIDE – TEXAS ITSELF GENERATES ABOUT 2 TRILLION DOLLARS A YEAR WHICH PUTS THE HYPOTHETICAL NATION AMONG THE TOP 10 WORLD ECONOMIES