Former President Donald Trump has revealed another potential running mate in the upcoming election cycle, telling reporters during a visit to the Southern border on Feb. 29 that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is “absolutely” on the list.
President Trump made the comments in a joint interview with Mr. Abbott and host Sean Hannity at Eagle Pass where he called the Texas governor a “spectacular man” and touted his work to secure the border amid the ongoing illegal immigration crisis.
The leading Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential race also said he was “honored” when Mr. Abbott endorsed him for president late last year.
“And he’s done a great job,” President Trump said. “Yeah, certainly he would be somebody that I would very much consider,” he added when asked if Mr. Abbott was on his shortlist of potential running mates.
“Absolutely, he is,” President Trump stressed.
Before his remarks, President Trump had toured Eagle Pass—the small border town along the Rio Grande that has been at the epicenter of the current border crisis—with the Texas governor and members of the Texas National Guard.
The pair also visited Shelby Park, an area known as a hotbed for illegal immigration which has been at the center of an ongoing legal dispute between Mr. Abbott and the federal government.
President Trump praised Mr. Abbott’s border security efforts, including his administration’s installation of wire fencing along the Rio Grande.
Abbott Vows to Continue Serving Texas
“He really stepped it up. It’s been amazing.” President Trump said of the governor. “This is an incredible operation,” he added.
While the Republican presidential frontrunner touted the Texas governor as a potential running mate, Mr. Abbott has previously dismissed the possibility of running for a national office, noting his dedication to the Lone Star state.
“I’ve already thought about running for reelection again and I can tell you from the people talking to me here today, taking pictures with me today, the same thing I hear every day, governor please stay in Texas, please run again,” Mr. Abbott told CBS News earlier this month. “That’s what I hear every day from my fellow Texans and that’s what I intend to do.”
President Trump later told reporters that he would prefer Mr. Abbott to remain as governor of Texas to continue his border security efforts.
Last week, President Trump told a Fox News town hall in Greenville, South Carolina that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem were all on his shortlist of potential running mates.
He also stressed the importance of selecting the right candidate, noting he only has one term left in office.
Biden Makes Second Border Visit
Asked during his recent visit to the southern border if anyone else was on his vice president shortlist, President Trump went on to praise U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina who was previously also vying for the GOP nomination in the 2024 White House race.
Mr. Scott dropped out of the race in November and swiftly endorsed President Trump.
In his remarks at the southern border, President Trump called Senator Scott an “unbelievable” campaign surrogate.
“Tim, for himself, he was fine. He did OK. I mean, he was OK as a candidate, but he didn’t want to talk about himself. He’s a very good man,” President Trump said. “For me, he’s unbelievable. He’s a surrogate.”
President Trump’s visit to the border coincided with President Biden’s tour of Brownsville on the western Gulf Coast, roughly 300 miles away from Eagle Pass.
The Democrat used his appearance there—his second trip to the border since January 2023—to condemn President Trump and urge lawmakers to pass the bipartisan border security bill.
“Instead of playing politics with the issue, instead of telling members of Congress to block this legislation, join me or I’ll join you and tell the Congress to pass this bipartisan border security bill. We can do it together,” he said of President Trump and Republican lawmakers.
Emel Akan contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times
