President Trump made his third trip to Texas this month on Tuesday, one week from the Midterm Elections. He held back-to-back rallies in Corpus Christi and Lubbock as Republicans focus on trying to hold onto the Lone Star State.
With one week until Election Day, Trump’s visit underscores just how competitive Texas has become — a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office in more than 30 years.
Why Texas? The Paxton-Talarico Senate Race
The centerpiece of Trump’s Texas push is the U.S. Senate race between Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. Polls show the race is tight, despite Republicans and their allies — including Elon Musk — pouring more than half a billion dollars into the contest, according to the Associated Press.
Paxton appeared on stage in Corpus Christi, urging Texans to vote and blasting Talarico, according to the New York Times. “I’m going to ask you to pray. Pray for me. Pray for the president. Pray for Texas,” Paxton told the crowd.
Talarico, for his part, held rallies Tuesday in Midland, Amarillo, and Lubbock, comparing his underdog campaign to the biblical David vs. Goliath, according to the New York Times.
Venezuelan Oil Tanker Takes Center Stage
One of the more striking moments of the Corpus Christi rally was Trump’s showcase of a newly-arrived oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude, set to be processed at Texas refineries. Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Trump for the event, which was a rare campaign trail appearance for the nation’s top diplomat, who also serves as national security adviser.
Familiar Faces and Big Applause Lines
The rally drew a notable crowd of political and sports figures. Johnny Manziel, the Heisman Trophy-winning former Texas A&M quarterback, flew in on Air Force One with Trump — though he skipped the evening Lubbock rally out of respect for Texas Tech’s rivalry with A&M, according to The Times.
The biggest applause of the night, however, went to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who took the stage to chants of “Marco! Marco! Marco!” Rubio is widely considered a frontrunner for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination.
Other speakers included Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who compared the Republican fight to the defense of the Alamo, though as the Times noted, the defenders of the Alamo lost. State Sen. Mayes Middleton, who lives in Galveston and is running to succeed Paxton as attorney general, also spoke, attacking Talarico on LGBTQ+ issues and oil and gas policy.
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