President Trump rallies voters in San Antonio
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
President Trump greets supporters at a rally at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio on Wednesday. Photo: Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images
President Trump urged supporters in San Antonio Wednesday to pretend he's on the ballot in what's expected to be a difficult midterm election for Republicans — potentially even in red Texas.
Why it matters: The rally at the Freeman Coliseum on San Antonio's East Side is Trump's third visit to Texas in a month — highlighting the focus the GOP has put on now-competitive races in the Lone Star State that were once presumed easy opportunities for Republicans.
State of play: Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who polls show is narrowly trailing Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in Texas' U.S. Senate race, also spoke Wednesday. Both Trump and Paxton made repeated jabs at Talarico, whom they painted as out of touch with Texans.
- "This election, we're not talking about red versus blue. We're not talking about a moderate Democrat," Paxton said. "We're talking about the constitutional republic, freedom, the Bill of Rights."
- Trump repeatedly referred to James "Talafreako," saying "Texas will be almost instantly destroyed" if he's elected and would "resemble California."
- A spokesperson for Talarico did not immediately reply to Axios' request for comment Wednesday.
The intrigue: Appearing alongside Paxton and Trump was Carlos De La Cruz, the Republican running in the 35th Congressional District, one of five Democratic districts redrawn by the Texas Legislature last year to elect a Republican.
- De La Cruz faces Democrat Johnny Garcia, a Bexar County sheriff's deputy.
- The majority-Latino district that includes parts of Bexar County is now rated by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report as "leans Republican," a closer rating than the group had before.
What they're saying: De La Cruz made appeals to military veterans and pocketbook issues — and tried to show himself as a Washington outsider.
- "I'm running for the family at the kitchen table tonight doing the math on the rent, gas and groceries, and wondering how it all adds up," De La Cruz said. "The insiders in Washington have never felt that squeeze."
The other side: "Voters are struggling because of reckless tariffs driving up costs, the war in Iran which has caused gas prices to skyrocket, and a Congress that gave tax breaks to billionaires while slashing healthcare here in Texas," Garcia told Axios in a statement.
Between the lines: Paxton, long a close ally of Trump, has privately lamented the challenging environment Republicans face this cycle.
- He told a group of donors last month the Iran war and high gas prices are "dragging" on his campaign, according to audio obtained by Axios.
- Paxton said in the same meeting that Trump's midterm convention in Dallas "dropped our numbers," and that control of the campaign is "all coming ... from D.C.," according to separate audio obtained by the New York Times and Politico.
Context: Wednesday was Trump's first visit to San Antonio, a largely Democratic city, since 2019.
- The Bexar County Democratic Party and the Party for Socialism and Liberation San Antonio both organized protests Wednesday.
The bottom line: Trump's focus on Texas underscores Republicans' belief that the state is in play.