Enter your number to get our free mobile app

State Representative Dustin Burrows came to the defense of Rep. Dade Phelan on Friday. Phelan is in line to become the next Speaker of the Texas House. Earlier in the week, Texas State Republican Chairman Allen West said in a weekly newsletter that the Republican Party of Texas would not support Phelan as Speaker. The comments from West drew rebuke from some Republican lawmakers including current House Speaker Dennis Bonnen.

On Friday, West called in to The Chad Hasty Show to discuss the Speakers race. He told KFYO that Republicans should pick the next Speaker and that he would support the Republican who all Republican State Representatives could support. West did not back down from calling Phelan a "political traitor". You can listen to the entire interview with Chairman Allen West here.

Shortly after West appeared on the show, Burrows called in to respond. Burrows took issue with the statements that West made against Phelan while saying that "Speaker-elect Phelan is a conservative member of the House."

"What I'm very frustrated by is the fact that Chairman West went off on Chairman Phelan before even talking to him, before even talking to members of the Texas House to understand why Republicans, a supermajority of now 95% of Republicans are supporting him (Phelan). It makes me have to think that maybe this is about his (West) own, raising his own profile, basically trying to become his own celebrity status rather than actually caring about doing the job that he was elected to do."

Burrows also said it was "ridiculous and irresponsible" for Chairman West to call Phelan a "political traitor". Burrows said that West needs to understand the Texas House and how it works and then work with them.

"I get it, maybe West is new to Texas, he doesn't understand Texas politics, he talks about the grassroots of Texas, and I can tell you my 7 and 9 year old's have more experience with Texas grassroots politics than he does. That being said, he needs to actually understand what we do in the Texas House, what we want to do, and try to work with us by doing his job to pass important things like election integrity."

Listen to the entire interview with Rep. Dustin Burrows above.

LOOK: 50 photos of American life in 2020

 

More From News/Talk 95.1 & 790 KFYO