Donald Trump took several jabs at New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez on Tuesday, challenging weeks of speculation that she could be under consideration for the vice presidential slot.
Rumors surrounding Martinez as a potential running mate date back to January, when the Inquisitr published an article about the first female New Mexico governor titled: “Meet Donald Trump’s vice president pick.”
Since Trump became the presumptive Republican nominee, Martinez’s name has been floated by a handful of pundits as someone likely to be included on the billionaire’s short list.
But Trump’s sharp criticism of the Hispanic governor at his campaign rally Tuesday in Albuquerque, N.M.,suggests she might not be an ideal fit for the bottom of the ticket after all.
“Since 2000, the number of unemployed people in Albuquerque has doubled,” Trump told the crowd, reading aloud from pre-prepared statistics he recently began carrying with him at his rallies.
“Who’s fault is it? Is it your fault or is it your government’s fault?” he asked the audience. “Since 2000, the number of people on food stamps in New Mexico has tripled. We have to get your governor to get going, OK? She’s got to do a better job.”
“Your governor has got to do a better job. She’s not doing the job,” he said, before joking that “maybe” he’ll run for governor of the “Land of Enchantment” if he doesn’t make it to the White House. “We’ve got to get your governor going. C’mon, governor.”
Trump continued, this time hitting Martinez over her handling of illegal immigration.
“Taxpayers in New Mexico spend nearly $1 billion a year … to support illegal immigrants residing in the state,” he said, drawing boos. “Syrian refugees are being relocated in large numbers to New Mexico.”
“If I was governor, that wouldn’t be happening,” Trump assured the crowd. “They say the governors have no choice [but] if I’m governor, I have a choice, OK? Believe me.”
Trump’s criticism of Martinez, who endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the primary and previously condemned the real estate mogul’s proposal to bar non-American Muslims from entering the U.S., comes after she declined to attend his rally Tuesday night.
“I’m the governor of New Mexico and I’m really focused on what’s going on here in New Mexico,” Martinez told the Albuquerque Journal when asked if she planned to attend the billionaire’s latest campaign event.
A spokesperson for the two-term governor told the Weekly Standard earlier this month that Martinez “has said repeatedly over the years that she isn’t interested in serving as Vice President.”
“She appreciates that such attention puts New Mexico in the spotlight, but she is fully committed to serving the people of our state,” said spokesman Chris Sanchez.
