TEXAS — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been controversial, but he grabs headlines often. On Wednesday, he was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024.
Abbott, a thorn in the side of the Biden administration, was singled out by Time for masterfully needling “W ashington, through both unending legal challenges and agitating stunts, such as sending buses of migrants to Democratic cities.”
“To the frustration of his political rivals, Greg Abbott is a talented room reader. During his nine years as the governor of Texas, he has proved adept at simultaneously throwing red meat to his conservative base while tempering pushback from the state’s liberal enclaves,” Time wrote.
Time noted some of Abbott’s missteps, including the February 2021 winter storm that caused millions of Texans to lose power and his initial praising of officers for their response to the May 2022 mass school shooting in Uvalde.
Still, Time said Abbott “remains one of his party’s most persuasive pitchmen, especially on immigration, where he’s constantly pushing at the boundaries of what states can do on enforcement.”
Abbott’s multibillion-dollar Operation Lone Star border enforcement program has tested the limits of the state’s border enforcement authority, which is the federal government’s responsibility.
Abbott has been floated as a possible running mate for former President Donald Trump this year, but the governor recently played that down.
“Whether Donald Trump wins or loses this year, Abbott is among the contenders best positioned to eventually pick up the MAGA mantle,” Time wrote.
“We have worked tirelessly to ensure Texas remains a beacon of freedom and opportunity for the entire world, and it is an honor to be recognized for all we have accomplished by being named as one of the most influential people in the world by TIME100,” Abbott said in a statement. “From building the eighth-largest economy in the world to leading a historic border security mission amidst the most prolific border crisis our nation has ever seen, one thing remains clear: where Texas leads, others follow. I am proud of the work we have accomplished and look forward to building an even bigger, better Texas for generations to come.”
Also named to the list was California Gov. Gavin Newsom.