NM Gov. Martinez open to meeting with Donald Trump

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez said she is willing to meeting with Donald Trump one day after the presumptive Republican presidential nominee turned on a dime from his comments a week earlier and said he “respected” her.

Martinez said Friday she would be open to having a discussion with Trump regarding New Mexico and a possible endorsement.

“I want to have a sit-down conversation with him,” she told KOB. “I think it’s very important for New Mexicans to know exactly where he stands on a variety of issues.”

Trump had criticized the nation’s first Latina governor for “not doing her job” in a speech in Albuquerque last Tuesday. He mentioned perhaps he should run for the state’s governor seat to “get this place going.”

On Thursday, however, Trump told the Santa Fe New Mexican he respects Martinez.

“I don’t care what he calls me or what he says or if he’s telling the truth or lies – it just doesn’t affect me,” Martinez told KOB Friday. What affects me is making sure information is being given to New Mexicans. What are they hearing to tell them who they should vote for?”

Martinez initially endorsed a Trump rival, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, before he dropped out of the race. Since then, she’s been reluctant to answer questions about endorsing Trump.

She did not attend the Trump rally, saying she was “too busy.”

“We deserve to hear from a presidential candidate what they are going to do to deal with the issues facing New Mexico. That was not discussed [at the Trump rally],” she told KOB after Trump was in Albuquerque.

But Friday, she pointed out that he had since discussed matters relating to military bases and national labs. He told the New Mexican in Thursday’s interview that he would be “building up our military capability in New Mexico.”

“He did mention it [Thursday] in his interview with a Santa Fe newspaper, and so I’m encouraged, but I do want to have a sit-down conversation with him about other issues that impact New Mexico,” the governor said Friday.

Martinez said Thursday she has no interest in endorsing Democratic candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. On Wednesday she said she would also not support former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian’s nominee for president. She did not say anything about the other Democrat in race, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.