I saw a lot of it too -- that and a lot of use of the N word -- so I left rather than demand they censor.
I think Abbott is just parroting someone else thinking it will help him. Just another clueless politician trying to get points with someone. He likely has no clue what's on the internet.
Governor Abbott dropped the mask mandate in Texas recently. At the most recent CPAC meeting, before the mandate was dropped, he was ranked last in a Presidential preference poll. I believe his decision to drop the masks was predicated on his higher ambitions, or at least his desire to get past the Republican primary.