President Donald Trump sought to bolster Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton on Tuesday, holding two rallies and touting a shipment of “free” Venezuelan oil that his administration said was arriving in the United States.
Paxton, Texas’ attorney general, is in a closely fought contest with Democratic state Representative James Talarico in a state that has traditionally been a Republican stronghold.
Most polls conducted this month have placed Paxton behind Talarico, raising concerns among Republicans that the Senate seat could be at risk.
Trump began his Texas appearances in the port city of Corpus Christi, where the oil tanker Angerona was docked offshore.
“We have a little breaking news,” Trump told the crowd. “See that little ship out there? That’s got 1 million barrels of oil on it from Venezuela. And we’re celebrating the greatest oil victory in history. To the victor belong the spoils, right?”
In January, Trump ordered US forces to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, placing his No. 2, Delcy Rodríguez, in charge. In August, he announced an agreement giving the United States a fifth of Venezuela’s oil. On Tuesday, he said the first shipment had arrived.
“But the oil on the ships outside is being provided to the United States at zero cost to the American taxpayer. That’s not bad,” he added.
Paxton, along with several other Republicans on the ballot, is also confronting political headwinds linked to elevated gas prices that Trump attributed to his war with Iran. The national average has reached $4.27 per gallon, while Texas’ average stands at $3.71.
President Donald Trump speaks Tuesday at the first of two rallies in Texas, this one in Corpus Christi, where he announced that a ship carrying 1 million barrels of “free” oil from Venezuela was docked outside
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (center right) is locked in a close race for US Senate against Democratic state Representative James Talarico, while also having to move past previous corruption scandals and a high-profile separation from his wife
Paxton is also trying to overcome earlier controversies, including his 2023 impeachment and a highly publicized separation from his wife following allegations of two affairs.
Despite those challenges, Trump described Paxton as perhaps the best attorney general in the country and in Texas history.
“This guy is considered by many to be the best, but whether he’s the best or among the best few … he’s the greatest in the history of Texas,” Trump said.
Trump then revived several of his familiar lines of attack against Talarico.
“He disappeared for 12 to 14 days,” Trump claimed. “It’s actually probably 14 if you really look at it. Missing in action.”
Talarico was absent from the campaign trail in late September, saying he had the flu. His absence fueled a conspiracy theory claiming he was receiving mental health treatment at an Ohio hospital.
The Ohio institution publicly rejected the claim, saying the story was false.
During his Texas appearances, however, Trump suggested that a different explanation was behind Talarico’s absence.
“Now, I happen to think he was food poisoned by meat because he can’t stand it,” Trump claimed.
The oil tanker Angerona, which transported Venezuelan crude, is seen nearby where President Donald Trump held a rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday
President Donald Trump speaks to a crowd in Corpus Christi, Texas on Tuesday, with an oil tanker seen in the background
‘You ever see him go to a barbecue and he’s trying to show, ‘I love the meat, I love it,’ and then you see him, where is he? He’s behind the tent puking. He’s sick as a dog,’ the President said.
Talarico has spoken out publicly about reducing meat consumption, which allowed Paxton to label him a ‘vegan’ in political attacks.
At the rally, Trump said it was his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, who taught him how to say ‘vegan’ properly.
‘You know my wife said, ‘It’s not vay-gan, it’s vegan.’ I don’t know because it’s never been my thing. I really do like the meat,’ Trump said. ‘But she said, ‘Oh, please don’t say vay-gan. It’s vegan.”
‘Well, he’s been a vegan,’ Trump charged. ‘And he’s never going to love meat and he’s never going to love oil and gas and he’s never going to love your Second Amendment and he’s never going to love your children the way you do. It’s a different kind of love.’
Trump then grumbled, ‘It’s too close.’
