If only someone had warned Republicans about Donald Trump. I mean, if only they knew how awful his immigration policies would be, how he would tank our economy, enrich himself and make our lives more miserable...for 4 more years.

IF ONLY.

Wait, we did. And they ignored us. Because voting for a woman, let alone a Black woman with a great laugh, would be way worse than anything Trump is doing to them.

Too bad. Know they are feeling the pain. And they are not happy.

This FAFO story is brought to you by The Wall.

MSNOW's Antonia Hylton traveled to Big Bend to meet with residents, law enforcement and regular old business owners to talk about the Trump administration's actions in Big Bend.

Presidio County, in far west Texas, is on the Rio Grande and borders Mexico. A population of just over 6,000, it leans Democrat, but did skew a bit towards Donald Trump in 2024. It also is a very diverse community, with over 81% of it's population identifying as Hispanic.

So imagine their surpise - and anger - when they found a sudden invasion of noisy machines demolishing the mountains. There were no signs, no advanced warning - just destruction. One of the residents reached out to a judge to inquire about what was doing on and who approved the access to her road. No one could tell her. The men, she came to learn, were from Barnard Construction and he was working on The Wall.

Big Bend residents are not happy - even the most Trumpy MAGA supporters. They are not happy with Trump, Gov. Greg Abbott or Attorney General Ken Paxton. And both Abbott and Paxton are on the November ballot.

In addition to the damage, the Trump administration is actually trying to SEIZE private land under eminent domain. Over 200 landowners on the border have received letters recently informing them that the administration "needs to access or use part of their property."

The letters are not friendly, either: "one letter explains that if the landowner and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, are unable to reach a negotiated purchase or easement agreement, there will be a “referral to the U.S. Department of Justice to initiate the eminent domain/condemnation process.” "

This may impact voting. One person interviewed described herself as a centrist, but based on these actions says that she plans for vote straight Democrat in the November elections.

What about national parks, like Big Bend? Well, locals were furious at the potential harm to the natural beauty that exists, so they protested for days - and it worked. CBP paused activity and told MSNOW that "the agency had no plans to build a 30–foot wall in the national park, adding that the activity seen in Big Bend “is survey and design work — NOT construction of a physical wall through the park.” "

Even law enforcement is confused by the actions of the Trump administration. Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, a conservative Republican who previously worked IN Border Patrol, doesn't like what he sees. He told MSNOW that he is "frustrated that Abbott and Paxton aren’t listening to local law enforcement. “The reason is they’re all afraid of President Trump. Because they know that if they go against him, then he’ll lash out at them and possibly sink their political career." "

Cleveland is still a proud conservative, but told MSNOW that he met with Talarico recently and actually likes his border plan (!!) - which "includes investments in technology and personnel — as being nearly identical to what Republicans like him had been asking for." He has not met with Ken Paxton.

Another Trump voter, Bill Ivey, owns a thriving business called Terlingua’s Ghost Town. In his own personal protest, he actually posted a sign saying that construction workers won't be served. For the first time ever, Ivey said he does not know how he will vote in November, saying: "I’m mad, I’m disgusted, and I’m disappointed in everybody in Washington. I’m a Republican, but I’m not a Republican for Paxton.”

Let's see if this anger translates into a win for Democrats. It is definitely a close race, but Texas is a big state and the midterms are a good two months away.