Why Was Governor Gregg Abbott Of Texas In A Wheelchair At Trump’s Inauguration?

Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott.

Photo : AP

Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, was seated in a wheelchair during President Donald Trump‘s address after the inauguration inside the Capitol rotunda Sunday. Abbott and Trump had a light-hearted banter over the Mexico border Trump plans to build along Texas.

However, the fact that Abbott was in a wheelchair sparked a lot of interest into the 67-year-old’s health condition. So why was Abbott in a wheelchair at the inauguration?

Why Was Greg Abbott In Wheelchair?

As per Governor Abbott’s official website, in July 1984, the Republican, then 26, was jogging in a west Houston neighborhood when a large oak tree cracked and fell on his back, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. The accident crushed several vertebrae, which splintered into his spinal cord, and caused broken ribs and damage to vital organs.

Doctors inserted two steel rods near his spine, which remain there today. Despite this life-altering event, Abbott pursued a successful political career and has served as the Governor of Texas since 2015. However, due to the paralysis he is immobile and has to move around in a wheelchair.