In a remarkably sharp rebuke of Gov. Greg Abbott, President Donald Trump late Tuesday said the governor lost his reelection bid because he became a “RINO” — Republican in name only — in the “last six months of his Political Life.”
Trump posted the comment on Truth Social shortly after Abbott conceded the Texas gubernatorial race to his opponent, Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin. It was the president’s first comment on a specific race as Democrats swept through several high-profile elections across the nation. The comment came in stark contrast to Trump’s praise for Abbott earlier Tuesday, when he reiterated his endorsement for the “strong and highly respected” three-term governor.
The two have historically shared a mutually respectful relationship. In the early hours of his second term, Trump took time to praise Abbott for his immigration and border policy and said the governor would be a key partner to the administration.
“He was a very popular governor and now he’s an unbeatable governor because of [his] border policies,” Trump said of Abbott shortly after his inauguration in 2025.
Trump endorsed Abbott’s reelection bid last year, highlighting his role in helping the Republican redistricting effort designed to net the GOP five seats in the U.S. House.
But Trump, a strong supporter of data centers as essential to economic growth, criticized the state in August after Abbott paused industry-wide approvals until the companies provide more information to the state on their power and water needs.
Abbott’s loss came in quick succession with a cascade of other Republican defeats amid a blue tsunami in Texas. The governor, who had been seeking a record fourth term as governor, spent most of his multimillion-dollar war chest on the election.
This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.
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