Former President Donald Trump has revealed that he is thinking of choosing Texas Governor Greg Abbott as his running mate for the 2024 presidential election, praising him as a “spectacular man” who has done a great job in the border state.
Trump made the announcement during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday after visiting the Texas-Mexico border with Abbott and other Republican officials. He revealed that the Texas Governor was “absolutely” on his short list of potential vice presidential candidates, and that he was honored by the latter’s endorsement of him last year.
Donald Trump also praised him saying that he had “stepped it up” in dealing with the border crisis, which he blamed on the Biden administration’s policies.
Greg Abbott has been the governor of Texas since 2015 and has been a vocal critic of President Joe Biden and his administration, suing them over several issues, such as the Keystone XL pipeline, the coronavirus vaccine mandate, and the abortion ban.
The Texas Governor has not publicly expressed his interest or intention to run for vice president, but he has said that he plans to seek another term as governor in the near future. During a news briefing at the Governor’s Mansion in Austin, Abbott said of the former president,
“Obviously that’s very nice of him to say, but I think you all know that my focus is entirely on the state of Texas. I’ve already talked about that I’ve announced that I’m running for reelection two years from now. And so my commitment to Texas is to Texas, and I’m staying in Texas.”
Donald Trump still remains the most popular and influential figure in the Republican Party despite facing several lawsuits. He recently won the the 2024 Michigan Primary and appears as the top contender for Super Tuesday slated for March 5th.