Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's aides were 'annoyed' by DeSantis' migrant stunt: NYT

• Aides to Greg Abbott were annoyed by Ron DeSantis' migrant stunt, according to The New York Times.
• DeSantis reportedly didn't tell anyone in Abbott's office about the plan ahead of time.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ticked off more than just Democrats with his Martha's Vineyard migrant stunt earlier this month.

The Sunshine State leader's scheme left several Texas Republicans peeved, according to The New York Times — including members of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's team.

DeSantis continues to court criticism and compliments after he flew dozens of migrants from San Antonio, Texas to Martha's Vineyard in the most recent effort by GOP leaders to highlight what they call a crisis at the US Southern border.

The GOP governor's office later clarified that the move was part of Florida's "relocation program" to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations. But it was a move that is undeniably indebted to Abbott's own relocation program, which has bussed thousands of migrants to liberal locales in recent months.

DeSantis failed to make anyone in Abbott's office aware of his most recent plan — even though the migrants at the heart of the controversy were gathered in San Antonio, according to The Times.

Abbott's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Abbott has not publicly rebuked DeSantis, instead, publicly praising the stunt in an effort to rally further support for his state's own immigration policy. But it's DeSantis who has almost exclusively reaped the publicity from the fallout.

It's a marked win for DeSantis in the two governors' ongoing, but muted rivalry. Both men are conservative leaders in two of the country's megastates, and both men are seeking reelection this fall.

But many believe DeSantis has his eye on even higher office, with rumors of a 2024 presidential run gaining more traction with each passing day. The GOP, once deeply loyal to former President Donald Trump, is increasingly turning to DeSantis, with Republicans in both Florida and Texas opting for DeSantis over Trump in a theoretical 2024 matchup, according to recent polls.

The migrants involved in the Martha's Vineyard move filed a federal class action lawsuit against DeSantis last week, claiming that the incident was a "premeditated, fraudulent, and illegal scheme."