Reuters/Brendan McDermidTexas Gov. Greg Abbott joked Friday about targeting eporters — one day after the GOP’s newest elected member of the House of Representatives allegedly assaulted a reporter. Abbott, a Republican, was at a gun range with reporters to celebrate legislation that lowers the cost of obtaining handgun licenses in Texas when he reportedly held up his target sheet and joked, “I’m gonna carry this around in case I see any reporters.” Patrick Svitek, a Texas Tribune reporter who was present at the gun range, confirmed in an email that Abbott was referring to the target sheet he'd just finished shooting at. The joke was criticized by many for its apparent normalizing of violence against journalists. Tweet Embed:https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/868140620270981121For: Gun rights.