Is Governor Abbott 'more powerful than Putin?' Economically it would seem so

"Texas' economy is larger than Russia -- That makes me more powerful than Putin," Gov. Greg Abbott crowed at the 2018 Travis County Republican Party Reagan Gala on April 13.

Abbott was the keynote speaker at the annual event, which this year honored Travis County Precinct 3 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty and outgoing U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith. Abbott's comment raised some eyebrows as well as the applause level in the historic Driskill Hotel that evening.

How true is the Governor's statement? Is it even close? Here's an interesting analysis:

http://www.talkmarkets.com/content/us-markets/which-has-the-bigger-economy-texas-or-russia?post=173072