Trump praises trucks, tariffs and Paxton during Denton visit

• He also visited North Texas last month during the GOP's midterm convention.

State of play: The Peterbilt facility in Denton manufactures diesel and electric trucks and is Denton's largest private employer, per the Denton Record-Chronicle.

• The facility has increased production because of Trump's tariff's and hired 1,000 employees, Sarah Renshaw, Peterbilt's events manager, said during Thursday's event.

What they're saying: Addressing Renshaw and hundreds of her colleagues, Trump praised his own policies and the facility's "beautiful equipment."

• "Workers like you and companies like this have always been loyal to our country," Trump said, "but for decades you were heartlessly betrayed by politicians, lousy politicians."

The intrigue: The president also plugged Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's campaign for U.S. Senate and called Paxton's Democratic opponent, state Rep. James Talarico, "a freako."

• "When I was being hit by the radical left very hard — harder than very few people could have withstood it — Ken Paxton was by my side more than anybody," Trump said.
• He added that Paxton can be a "pain in the ass sometimes" but is the "greatest attorney general in the United States of America."

The big picture: The Senate contest in Texas is expected to be the nation's most expensive Senate race this year.

• A political action committee supporting Paxton spent $131 million in 17 days, according to federal campaign finance reports.
• Paxton narrowly trails Talarico in recent polls.

Worthy of your time: GOP senators endure painful week with little to show for it