Texas Politics: Trump Labels Abbott a RINO After Loss
The president blamed the governor’s shift back to an older style for the defeat that ended a 30-year Republican hold on the office.
By Lucas Navarro ·
President Donald Trump accused Texas Governor Greg Abbott of becoming a Republican in name only, a label he used to explain the incumbent’s defeat on Tuesday. The president posted the criticism on social media, arguing that Abbott would not have lost if he had avoided a perceived shift in the final six months of his political life.
The election resulted in a major change in state leadership. Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa won the governorship, ending a three-decade period of Republican control over the office. Abbott, who has served as governor since 2015, was seeking a fourth term. He previously held the positions of state attorney general and justice on the Texas Supreme Court.
The president’s criticism marks a sharp turn from his earlier public support. In February, Trump posted on Truth Social that Abbott was an exceptional governor and man. He granted the governor a complete and total endorsement for re-election at that time. The new post did not cite specific polling data, campaign metrics, or particular policy decisions to support the accusation.
Trump said Abbott went back to his original formula, describing that approach as not pretty. The RINO acronym is a common political insult used by the president and his allies to describe Republicans they view as insufficiently conservative or loyal. The president signed the initial post with his full name, President Donald J. Trump.
The defeat represents a significant setback for the Texas Republican Party. Hinojosa’s victory interrupts a long-standing pattern of Republican dominance in the state’s highest executive office. The election results stand as a concrete outcome of the campaign that Trump now says was undermined by Abbott’s recent behavior.
Following the initial post, the president announced a new role for himself in political analysis. He wrote that he intends to become a political pundit to discuss the reasons candidates won or lost. He described his future commentary as covering both good and bad aspects of electoral results.
The timeline of events shows the endorsement in February, the campaign through the fall, and the election result on Tuesday. Trump’s reaction followed immediately after the outcome was clear. The governor’s tenure, which began in 2015, will now conclude after the inauguration of the new administration.
