Trump blames RINO label for Abbott loss

President Donald Trump posted to TruthSocial on Tuesday night to explain why Greg Abbott lost the Texas governor's race to Democrat Gina Hinojosa. The president argued that Abbott became a Republican in Name Only during the final six months of his political life, a shift he said caused the defeat.

Abbott had led the state government for decades, but his tenure ended on Tuesday evening. He conceded to Hinojosa around 10 p.m. after reviewing election details from every county in Texas. Her victory marks the first time a Democrat has held the position in more than 30 years.

The president's stance on Abbott changed sharply since February. At that time, he endorsed the governor, describing him as an exceptional man and leader. Trump also traveled to Texas multiple times before the election to rally support for Republican candidates. Despite that earlier backing, the president said Abbott reverted to an original formula in recent months.

"If Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, hadn’t become a RINO in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn’t have lost," Trump wrote in his post. He added that the governor's return to that older approach "wasn’t pretty."

Hinojosa reported that Abbott called to congratulate her on the win. He offered assistance with her transition into office. The term RINO is commonly used by party members to describe politicians who appear too moderate or disloyal to core party stances.

Democrats won multiple races in Texas during the midterm elections. The results prompted Trump to comment publicly on the specific performance of the governor's campaign. The president used social media to direct this criticism rather than making a formal statement.