Attacking a popular Republican governor. Attacking her for not attending his rally, threatening to run against her.
Yeah, really presidential. He even hated on her for Syrian refugees, which she doesn't actually control. Trump = dem plant, doing what a dem plant would do.
ALBUQUERQUE — Despite his promise to unite the Republican Party, Donald Trump attacked New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez — the chairwoman of the Republican Governor’s Association — on Tuesday night and accused her of “not doing the job."
Martinez has been critical of Trump and did not attend his Tuesday night rally at a convention center in Albuquerque, telling the local media she was “really busy” running the state. In turn, Trump stood before thousands of the people she represents and told them that the two-term governor is to blame for many of the state’s economic problems, including a dramatic increase in the number of residents receiving food stamps over the past 16 years.
“We have got to get your governor to get going,” Trump said to a cheering audience. “She’s got to do a better job. Okay? Your governor has got to do a better job. She’s not doing the job. Hey! Maybe I’ll run for governor of New Mexico. I’ll get this place going. She’s not doing the job. We’ve got to get her moving. Come on: Let’s go, governor.”
Trump also criticized Martinez for allowing “large numbers” of Syrian refugees to resettle in the state. Although governors have limited control over these federal resettlements, Trump faulted Martinez for allowing it to happen.
“If I was governor, that wouldn’t be happening,” Trump said.
Mike Lonergan, Martinez’s press secretary, responded to Trump’s attacks in a statement late Tuesday night: “Apparently, Donald Trump doesn’t realize Governor Martinez wasn’t elected in 2000, that she has fought for welfare reform, and has strongly opposed the President’s Syrian refugee plan. But the pot shots weren’t about policy, they were about politics. And the Governor will not be bullied into supporting a candidate until she is convinced that candidate will fight for New Mexicans. Governor Martinez doesn’t care about what Donald Trump says about her – she cares about what he says he will do to help New Mexicans. She didn’t hear anything about that today.”
Martinez is the nation’s first Latina governor, and New Mexico’s first female governor. She is considered a rising star in the Republican Party and is frequently mentioned as a possible vice-presidential candidate. But she has been critical of her party’s likely nominee. Last month, Martinez told a crowd of about 60 wealthy Republican donors gathered for a retreat in Florida that she is offended by the language Trump has used to describe immigrants. She added that Trump’s plan to build a wall along the southern border and forced Mexico to pay for it was unrealistic and irresponsible, according to those in attendance at the time.
