Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has flatly declined to become Donald Trump's 2024 nominee, instead choosing to stay in his state to deal with the border crisis.
The governor warned that the U.S. was in “imminent danger” due to an “invasion” of “known and unknown terrorists crossing every day.”
He said the best way he could help Trump “is to be a great governor of Texas.”
The presidential candidate had previously touted Abbott as a possible running mate, saying he was “absolutely” on his shortlist.
But Abbott bluntly rejected any suggestion of running in an interview with 60 Minutes, saying “no” when asked if he wanted to run for the Republican nomination with the former president.
Abbott also defended the use of the word “invasion” to describe the thousands of migrants streaming across the southern border into Texas every day at record-breaking rates.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has declined to become Trump's running mate, instead choosing to stay in his state to deal with the border crisis
Trump said Abbott is “absolutely” still on the short list for vice presidential candidates after a visit by the governor to Eagle Pass
Abbott warned that the U.S. was in “imminent danger” due to an “invasion” by “known and unknown terrorists.”
Gov. Abbott says he is defending his state from an “invasion” of migrants at the U.S. border, saying, “We are in imminent danger because of what the drug cartels are doing every day.” pic.twitter.com/OBMmRnh1ti
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) March 4, 2024
The governor said the term is accurate “because of what the drug cartels do every day. Because of the known and unknown terrorists who cross the border every day.”
“There is no language that would encourage violence. “But I want to make it clear that we do not want violence of any kind,” he said.
Record numbers of migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in the country in recent months.
Experts expect the backlog of asylum seekers and other migrants in the United States to reach eight million by the end of September.
According to data from Axios, this represents a 167 percent increase in five years.
Abbott reiterated his belief that Biden has lost control of the situation and suggested the only solution would come in November, when a new president is elected.
“It simply ends up with a president of the United States actually fulfilling his oath of office to enforce the laws of the United States of America, which means denying illegal entry into the country,” he said.
There were more than 300,000 encounters in the last month of 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection sources told Fox News.
Record numbers of migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in the country in recent months
Experts expect the backlog of asylum seekers and other migrants in the United States to reach eight million by the end of September
Between December 1 and December 31, more than 302,000 migrants were documented attempting to cross the U.S. southern border.
This was the highest total for a single month ever recorded in history and is the first time that the number of migrant encounters has exceeded 300,000.
According to House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, over 300 people on the terrorist watch list have crossed the Southwest border between ports of entry since the start of fiscal year 2021.
He added that there was “no way of knowing how many more were among the 1.8 million known escape attempts.”
Immigration has become a flashpoint in the upcoming election, with both Biden and Trump making competing visits to the border on the same day.
A Gallup poll found that 28 percent of Americans now believe immigration is the biggest problem facing America, citing more than just the economy or inflation.
The number was a record high since Gallup began polling voters about their views on immigration in 1981.
On Thursday, Abbott used Trump's visit to Eagle Pass to criticize Biden for “endangering America by not doing his job” at the border.
Abbott said the best way he could help Trump “is to be a great governor of Texas.”
Abbott reiterated his belief that Biden has lost control of the situation and suggested the only solution would come in November, when a new president is elected
Between December 1 and December 31, more than 302,000 migrants were documented attempting to cross the U.S. southern border
He also walked Trump along the edge of the Rio Grande and showed him what Texas is doing to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing.
The Republican governor showed Trump how shipping containers covered with concertina wire are used as barriers. He also took him to a site where the body of a drowned migrant was brought ashore.
Abbott laid out plans to build an 80-acre base for the Texas National Guard.
He also promised to continue his policy of busing illegal migrants to Democratic “sanctuary cities.”
It happened as Biden visited the border town of Brownsville, Texas, about 324 miles from where Abbot appeared with Trump but still in his state.
The visit was dismissed as a “photo op” by the Border Patrol Union and dismissed as “it’s all about politics.”
After his trip to Eagle Pass, Trump said Abbott was “absolutely” among the potential candidates for vice president.
Abbott previously unveiled plans to build an 80-acre base for the Texas National Guard.
He also promised to continue his policy of busing illegal migrants to Democratic “sanctuary cities.”
Other names on the Republican front-runner's list of possible running mate include Sen. Tim Scott, Ben Carson, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Rep. Byron Donalds and Trump's former press secretary and now Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will also continue to be considered in the framework.
Immigration is an integral part of Biden's domestic and foreign policy – his push for more funding for Ukraine and Israel has been hampered by Republicans' desire for more border funding.
Biden asked Congress for $61 billion in aid for Ukraine, but Republicans refused to approve the aid without reaching an agreement with Democrats to tighten security along the U.S.-Mexico border.
His request also includes $14 billion for Israel in the fight against Hamas and $14 billion for U.S. border security.
Biden and his fellow Democrats made major concessions on border security to reach a deal, including raising standards for asylum seekers and expanding the president's authority to quickly deport migrants who cross the border.