Greg Abbott, the far-right Republican governor of Texas, is on Donald Trump's shortlist to be his vice-presidential in 2024.
Trump called Abbott a "strong candidate" during a recent visit to the border, praising him for his handling of immigration issues in the Lone Star state.
On Wednesday, February 29, during Trump's visit to the border in Eagle Pass, he commended Abbott's efforts regarding border security, stating, "He really stepped it up."
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, the former president called the Texas governor a "spectacular man" who has "done a great job."
Hannity asked Trump, "So, he's on the list?" referring to the vice presidency.
"Absolutely, he is," Trump answered, with Abbott nearby.
However, Trump gave a less-than-glowing assessment of Tim Scott's presidential candidacy after the South Carolina senator dropped out early and pivoted to fawning over the former president.
“Tim, for himself, he was fine,” Trump said. “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. For me, he’s unbelievable. He’s a good surrogate.”
The 77-year-old also confirmed other names on his running mate shortlist, including Vivek Ramaswamy, Byron Donalds, and Tulsi Gabbard.
Just last week, during an interview on CNN, Abbott revealed that he wasn't interested in being Trump's running mate in the upcoming primary and plans to run for a fourth term as Governor of Texas.
Abbott told Dana Bash, "I think there's so many people other than myself who are best situated," referring to being the ex-president's VP pick, adding that he would give Trump his two cents as to who his pick should be.
Abbott made headlines by clashing with the Supreme Court and the federal government over border policies, showcasing his unwavering commitment to his far-right anti-immigration agenda.
He has sent undocumented migrants from his state to Democratic-run cities in California and New York.
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Trump is most likely going to capture the Republican presidential nomination, having won all primary contests against his only remaining primary opponent, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.
Several political analysts believe that Haley will drop out of the race after Super Tuesday next week, leaving Trump as the only option in the GOP contest.
The only obstacles in Trump's way are 91 criminal charges from four indictments, multimillion-dollar civil reversals over his business affairs, an allegation of rape a judge called “substantially true,” and attempts to remove him from the ballot for inciting January 6.