https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/matthew-choi/The latest news by Matthew Choi.enTue, 25 Mar 2025 13:09:54 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/25/jasmine-crockett-greg-abbott-wheelchair/The Texas Democrat made fun of the governor during a speech over the weekend in Los Angeles to an LGBTQ rights group.By Matthew ChoiTue, 25 Mar 2025 13:09:54 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/25/jasmine-crockett-greg-abbott-wheelchair/Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, mocked Gov. Greg Abbott's wheelchair and received a barrage of criticism calling her remarks despicable and shameful.State Rep. Jasmine Felicia Crockett, D-Dallas, speaks at a Texas House Progressive Caucus at the Capitol on Sept. 20, 2021.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/20/texas-greg-abbott-trump-education-department/Gov. Greg Abbott dismissed concerns that federal funding and civil rights could be jeopardized by the reduction of the department.By Matthew Choi and Stephen SimpsonThu, 20 Mar 2025 16:56:08 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/20/texas-greg-abbott-trump-education-department/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/20/ted-cruz-voucher-ads/The ads praise 14 Texas Republicans, including House Speaker Dustin Burrows, for their support of education savings accounts.By Matthew ChoiThu, 20 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/20/ted-cruz-voucher-ads/U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is sponsoring an ad campaign to support Republicans in the Texas House who back the school voucher proposal that is a top priority for the governor.U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks to residents at his bus tour rally in Huntsville on Oct. 8, 2024, finishing his six-city tour campaign for reelection against U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas.Hope Capwell for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/19/amanda-edwards-sylvester-turner-congress/Edwards unsuccessfully ran for the seat twice last year. She faced off against U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the 2024 Democratic primary. Jackson Lee won the primary but died before the general election, opening the party’s nomination anewBy Matthew Choi and Renzo DowneyWed, 19 Mar 2025 10:09:45 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/19/amanda-edwards-sylvester-turner-congress/Houston City Councilwoman and U.S. Senate candidate Amanda Edwards outside of 919 Congress Avenue in Austin on Feb. 7, 2020. (Houston City Councilwoman and U.S. Senate candidate Amanda Edwards outside of 919 Congress Avenue in Austin on Feb. 7, 2020. Angela Piazza for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/17/nrcc-texas-targets-cuellar-conzalez/Reps. Cuellar and Gonzalez are moderate Democrats who represent border districts that increasingly vote Republican.By Matthew ChoiMon, 17 Mar 2025 12:50:51 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/17/nrcc-texas-targets-cuellar-conzalez/U.S. Reps. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen and Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.U.S. Reps. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen and Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/27/trump-tariffs-texas-economy-trade/The president said Mexico and Canada have failed to curb the flow of drugs into the U.S. after giving the countries 30 days to do so before enacting the tariffs.By Matthew ChoiThu, 27 Feb 2025 15:02:07 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/27/trump-tariffs-texas-economy-trade/Business leaders in the state say that trade between Mexico and the United States, a core of the Texas economy, will be disrupted by new tariffs set to start on Tuesday.Trucks cross the World Trade Bridge over the Rio Grande from Mexico into the United States in Laredo on Sept. 16, 2020.Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/25/pfluger-texas-fundraising-trump-third-term/A Trump official says the president did not approve the fundraising message connected to the Republican Study Committee.By Matthew ChoiTue, 25 Feb 2025 16:48:04 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/25/pfluger-texas-fundraising-trump-third-term/A promotion for a third Trump term was sent as a fundraising message by a group led by U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, a Texas Republican.Representative August Pfluger, R-San Angelo, arrives for a meeting with Texas Republicans at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters Connecthttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/13/greg-abbott-texas-trump-11-billion-border-security/Abbott is in Washington this week to lobby Congress for $11 billion to compensate Texas for money spent on his Operation Lone Star, to secure the border during the Biden Administration.By Matthew ChoiThu, 13 Feb 2025 13:12:26 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/13/greg-abbott-texas-trump-11-billion-border-security/Gov. Greg Abbott answers questions regarding Operation Lone Star, congressional leadership and his plans for Texas to work with the Trump administration among other things on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at The Royal Sonesta Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.Gov. Greg Abbott answers questions regarding Operation Lone Star, congressional leadership and his plans for Texas to work with the Trump administration among other things on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at The Royal Sonesta Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.Luke Johnson for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/13/brooke-rollins-texas-agriculture-secretary-trump/The Senate voted 72-28 to confirm her nomination. She easily sailed through the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier this month on a unanimous vote.By Matthew ChoiThu, 13 Feb 2025 11:21:55 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/13/brooke-rollins-texas-agriculture-secretary-trump/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/11/cornyn-paxton-possible-senate-primary/Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has hinted at a possible run, has more support than the four-term senator among Republicans, polling shows.By Matthew ChoiTue, 11 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/11/cornyn-paxton-possible-senate-primary/Sen. John Cornyn at the 2024 Republican Party of Texas convention. While he has had primary challenges before, his 2026 reelection campaign would have a new dimension if a GOP opponent emerges backed by the party's leader.U.S. Sen. John Cornyn speaks with members of the press during a visit to the Republican Party of Texas convention on May 24, 2024 in San Antonio.Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/05/turner-confirmation-hud-secretary/Turner served in the Texas House from 2013-2017.By Matthew ChoiWed, 05 Feb 2025 12:37:34 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/05/turner-confirmation-hud-secretary/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/05/abbott-trump-white-house-border/The governor said the state resources are available to the federal government and requested that the U.S. reimburse Texas for the border hardening measures under Operation Lone Star.By Matthew ChoiWed, 05 Feb 2025 10:10:47 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/05/abbott-trump-white-house-border/Gov. Greg Abbott and President Trump, shown together in 2023, kept border issues at the top of their agenda when they met at the White House on Wednesday afternoon.Former President Donald Trump greets and shakes hands with Gov. Greg Abbott at the South Texas International Airport in Edinburg, on Nov. 19, 2023, after the governor announced his endorsement of President Trump. “We need Donald J. Trump back as our president of the United States of America,” the governor said.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/03/tariffs-us-mexico-negotiation/Leaders of the three countries said they agreed to send more troops to the border, tackle U.S. arms smuggling into Mexico and increase collaboration over security issues.By Matthew ChoiMon, 03 Feb 2025 10:27:48 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/03/tariffs-us-mexico-negotiation/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/30/trump-tariffs-impact-texas-economy/Trump has vowed punishing tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, which are Texas’ biggest international trading partners.By Matthew Choi and Berenice GarciaThu, 30 Jan 2025 12:03:26 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/30/trump-tariffs-impact-texas-economy/Cross-border trade is under threat as President Trump promises higher tariffs. A sign of how much Texas imports and exports: Trucks entering the United States after crossing the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville.Trucks entering the United States after crossing the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville on Jan. 10, 2019,Eddie Gaspar for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/28/texas-trump-federal-spending-freeze/Texas cities, counties, higher education institutions and nonprofits clambered Tuesday to gauge the potential fallout from the suspension, later blocked temporarily by a federal judge.By Jayme Lozano Carver, Jessica Priest, Joshua Fechter, Matthew Choi and Terri LangfordTue, 28 Jan 2025 20:35:02 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/28/texas-trump-federal-spending-freeze/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/23/brooke-rollins-trump-agriculture-secretary-texas/Rollins previously led the Texas Public Policy Foundation and served under Gov. Rick Perry.By Matthew ChoiThu, 23 Jan 2025 14:07:17 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/23/brooke-rollins-trump-agriculture-secretary-texas/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/23/john-ratfliffe-cia-director-texas/Ratcliffe is a native of Heath, Texas, where he served as mayor from 2004 to 2012.By Matthew ChoiThu, 23 Jan 2025 13:42:56 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/23/john-ratfliffe-cia-director-texas/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/22/laken-riley-act-house-senate-immigrant/The bill, named for Laken Riley, a Georgia student killed by an immigrant, adds legislative muscle to President Trump’s immigration enforcement push.By Matthew ChoiWed, 22 Jan 2025 16:53:15 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/22/laken-riley-act-house-senate-immigrant/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/20/trump-inauguration-texas/Texas has already militarized the border under Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star.By Matthew ChoiMon, 20 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/20/trump-inauguration-texas/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/15/john-ratcliffe-cia-trump/President-elect Donald Trump has tapped former Republican U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA.By Matthew ChoiWed, 15 Jan 2025 12:03:07 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/15/john-ratcliffe-cia-trump/