President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in San Antonio was repeatedly interrupted by demonstrators on Wednesday, marking a tense stop during his third visit to Texas in less than a month. At least half a dozen protesters were led away by police throughout the event, with one individual reportedly assaulted by an older Trump supporter as he attempted to exit the arena.
Trump briefly paused his address when one protester appeared to approach the stage. Following the individual’s removal, the president remarked, “He’s going back home to mom. But what he doesn’t know is his mom voted for Trump.” As supporters chanted “USA” and waved cowboy hats to drown out the disruptions, Trump urged the demonstrators to “get the hell out of here,” while mocking their appearance and asserting without evidence that they were “paid by enemies of our nation.”
The rally focused heavily on the upcoming midterm elections, where Republicans are working to defend their Senate majority. Trump used the platform to endorse Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, calling him “perhaps the greatest attorney general in the United States of America” and a “fantastic man.” Paxton, who was invited on stage, thanked the president for his support, stating, “Mr President, I want to thank you for coming for me, for coming for us, and for coming for Texas. We are going to win this race.”
The Senate race has become increasingly critical, with Democratic candidate James Talarico posing a significant challenge. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll placed Talarico ahead of Paxton, 51% to 45%. Trump attacked his opponent throughout the event, repeatedly referring to him as “Tala-freako” and claiming without evidence that Talarico is a vegan who was recently forced to eat meat for political reasons. He further declared, “The people of Texas are not going to let weak, gutless, self-hating, transgender-promoting freak shows destroy everything that we’ve built.”
The event also featured the notable absence of Republican Governor Greg Abbott, a close ally of the president currently facing his own competitive race against Democrat Gina Hinojosa. Abbott was instead attending a hospital dedication 330 miles away, a decision Democrats highlighted as a political slight. Meanwhile, Trump addressed comments he made earlier regarding potential Iranian missile strikes on Los Angeles or San Diego. He defended his stance, stating that the U.S. would not allow such events to occur, while suggesting that the impact would cause the country to fall into a “freefall.”
The Republican campaign to maintain control of the Senate has become increasingly focused on Texas, where Democrat James Talarico has emerged as a serious threat. A New York Times/ Siena College poll released last weekend showed Talarico leading Paxton 51% to 45% among likely voters. Texas has not elected a Democrat to
Trump won the state by almost 14 percentage points in 2024, but his approval rating has fallen sharply. A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday put his approval rating at 32%, while registered voters preferred Democrats to Republicans 44%-37%.
