Trump says TX Gov. Greg Abbott 'absolutely' on VP short list

As speculation continues to mount about GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump's potential vice-presidential pick, a new name has emerged as a member of his reported short list, namely that of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, as the New York Post reports.

The news broke during a joint appearance made by Trump and Abbott on Fox News' Hannity on Thursday.

Coming immediately on the heels of Trump's visit to the border area near Eagle Pass, Texas, on which he was accompanied by Abbott, the former president did not hold back in his praise of the governor.

“He's done a great job,” Trump declared, and when asked whether he would include Abbott on the list of those in running for the number-two spot on the Republican ticket, the former president replied, “Yes, certainly. He would be somebody that I would very much consider.”

Working to get an official declaration on the record, Hannity mused, “So he's on the list,” to which Trump said, “Absolutely.”

Abbott has established himself as strong force in the fight against illegal immigration, launching Operation Lone Star, an expansive initiative aimed at stemming the tide of arrivals at the southern border. As KXAN noted.

The governor has enacted policies that include busing migrants to sanctuary cities elsewhere in the United States, constructing a military base camp in an especially affected area of his state, and mobilizing National Guard troops in zones particularly impacted by the Biden administration's lax enforcement of existing law.

A group of government leaders in Central Texas this week announced that they will vote on a formal statement lauding Abbott's commitment to addressing the border crisis.

Williamson County commissioners are poised to consider a resolution declaring that they “affirm our support for the implementation and maintenance of secure borders for the United States of America, and that we advocate for the allocation of federal resources necessary to effectively monitor and control the nation's borders in alignment with Governor Abbott's vision and initiatives....”

The proposed resolution further states that the commissioners “call upon the federal government to work collaboratively with Governor Abbott and his administration to advance solutions that promote secure borders, protect our communities, and uphold the principles of law and order,” language with which Trump most certainly agrees.

The former president's disclosure that Abbott is among those under consideration for the VP spot on the GOP ticket represents an expansion of the list he recently articulated during an town hall forum with Fox News' Laura Ingraham.

During their discussion, Ingraham asked Trump about a host of rumored vice-presidential possibilities, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Rep. Byron Donalds, and Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat who once represented Hawaii in the House of Representatives.

After running through that group of names, Ingraham inquired, “Are they all on your short list?”

Trump replied in the affirmative, adding, “Honestly, all of those people are good. They're all good, they're all solid,” but with this week's explicit expansion of the roster, it is clear they are not the only ones on the former president's radar.