Trump to make fourth trip to Texas for rallies in Lubbock and Waco ahead of midterm elections
President Donald Trump will visit Texas for a fourth time this election season to hold rallies ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, the Republican National Committee announced Monday.
The president will hold rallies in Lubbock and Waco on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively.
Mr. Trump rallied in Dallas in September for the RNC midterm convention, also known as "Trumpapalooza," an event designed to turn political enthusiasm into votes with control of Congress hanging in the balance. The president praised the convention's viewership and argued that "people were helped greatly" by the two-day event, which highlighted Republican candidates and focused heavily on his record.
At the convention, the president said Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton "may not dress right," "may not talk exactly perfectly" and "may not be the best-looking guy I've ever seen." However, Mr. Trump praised Paxton as "the greatest attorney general in America, and he deserves to be your next senator."
Mr. Trump later visited Denton in early October, promoting his economic agenda as the Senate race between Paxton and Democrat James Talarico tightened. He then campaigned for Paxton and Republican candidate Carlos De la Cruz in San Antonio.
Leaked audio suggests Paxton blamed GOP convention for declining poll numbers
Trump's upcoming visit follows reports that Paxton told donors that "everybody's numbers are down" after the recent GOP midterm convention in Dallas.
The New York Times obtained leaked audio of Paxton's remarks, which CBS News has not independently verified. In the recording, Paxton reportedly said: "So to be honest with you, the numbers — when we did that convention — it dropped our numbers. Everybody's numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good."
Paxton spokesperson Nick Maddux dismissed the report as "manipulated nonsense to create a story that doesn't exist" and pointed to an internal poll showing Paxton leading Talarico by 3 percentage points.
CBS News poll shows tight Texas Senate race between Talarico and Paxton
A CBS News poll shows the Texas Senate race is essentially tied between Talarico and Paxton as Election Day approaches.
The poll found that Paxton benefits from the state's overall Republican leanings, while Talarico draws support from voters' economic concerns and more favorable perceptions of his personal character.
Talarico's standing is also bolstered by a greater share of Democrats saying they will definitely vote, leaving the race up for grabs in the final weeks of the campaign. Higher Republican turnout could shift the balance in Paxton's favor.
Many Paxton supporters say they are backing him because he is the Republican nominee, they oppose Talarico or they want to support Mr. Trump.
