Trump’s Texas Rally Disrupted by Ongoing Protests

During a campaign rally in Texas on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump faced repeated interruptions from protesters while urging voters to support embattled Senate candidate Ken Paxton.

At least six demonstrators interrupted his remarks in San Antonio, prompting police to escort several away. One protester was physically assaulted by an older Trump supporter while attempting to exit the venue.

After a protester approached the stage, Trump stepped away from the microphone. He remarked, “He’s going back home to mom,” adding, “But what he doesn’t know is that his mother voted for me.”

Supporters wearing cowboy hats and chanting “USA” shouted over some of the protesters, while Trump told the demonstrators to “get the hell out of here.” He mocked their appearance and, without evidence, claimed they were paid by opponents of the United States.

He also used the rally to revisit recent remarks in which he hinted that Iran could target Los Angeles or San Diego, drawing sharp criticism from Democrats.

His remarks remained vague: “I said the other day, let them fire a missile toward San Diego or Los Angeles. Let them hit—do you want to see a horror show? Do you want problems? Let them strike San Diego. Let them strike Los Angeles and you’ll witness terrible things.”

He continued, “You’d see a country plummeting into chaos. We won’t allow that. We will defend our cities and our nation. They would try to exploit it as well.”

Trump’s visit marked his third trip to Texas in under a month, as Republicans funnel funds into races they anticipated winning easily in the November midterms.

Ken Paxton, whom Trump endorsed in the Republican primary after withdrawing support from incumbent Senator John Cornyn, was invited on stage by the president and thanked for his backing.

Paxton said, “Mr. President, thank you for coming for me, for us, and for Texas. We are going to win this race.”

Trump praised Paxton as “perhaps the greatest attorney general in the United States,” adding, “He has been tough, stood with us throughout, and is a fantastic man.”

The Republican effort to retain Senate control has increasingly centered on Texas, where Democrat James Talarico poses a serious challenge. 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 Democratic senator since 1988.

Although Trump carried Texas by nearly 14 points in 2024, his approval has slipped. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Monday placed his approval rating at 32%, with registered voters favoring Democrats over Republicans 44% to 37%.

Trump’s relationship with Paxton has occasionally been strained; last week he called Paxton “a pain in the ass,” yet on Wednesday he avoided mentioning a leaked recording in which Paxton allegedly criticized the Iran war, rising fuel costs, and his campaign management.

Instead, Trump devoted much of the rally to attacking Talarico, repeatedly calling him “Tala‑freako.” He asserted, without evidence, that Talarico is vegan and had recently fallen ill, claiming, “He’s sick because he’s been forced to eat meat for political reasons and is vomiting constantly.”

Trump declared, “Texans will not allow weak, gutless, self‑loathing, transgender‑promoting extremists to destroy what we have built.”

Trump’s political challenges in Texas were highlighted by the absence of Governor Greg Abbott, a close ally who is himself in a tight re‑election race against Democratic state representative Gina Hinojosa.

Abbott was scheduled to attend a hospital dedication roughly 330 miles away, and Democrats criticized his choice to skip the Trump event.

Republicans have invested over $300 million in Texas elections, the Associated Press reports, while Trump’s wider 32‑day campaign tour has taken him through other Republican‑leaning states such as Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio, and Nebraska.

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