Trump is making another major push in Texas as the November 3 midterm elections get closer. President Donald Trump visited Texas for the third time in less than a month to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton. Paxton has privately questioned Trump’s political strength, while Trump has also publicly insulted him in the past.
Texas has become an important battleground for Republicans because the GOP is fighting to keep control of the Senate. Republicans are facing a tougher-than-expected fight to hold their Senate majority, and Texas is now seen as an important part of their path to keeping control, according to CNN.
Texas Senate race
Paxton is facing Democrat James Talarico in a race that is much closer than Republicans expected. This is important because Texas is normally a strong Republican state. Trump won Texas by more than 13 percentage points in 2024, and no Democrat has won a statewide election in Texas since 1994.
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Trump midterm strategy
Trump’s Texas trip is part of a wider midterm campaign strategy. He has been travelling to Republican states that he won comfortably in 2024, including Alabama, Oklahoma and Nebraska. His goal is to help Republican candidates by increasing turnout among his supporters. Paxton’s campaign, however, clearly wants Trump’s help. A Texas GOP strategist said Paxton’s team appears to have decided that bringing Trump into the race is worth the political risk.
Paxton and Trump tensions
Paxton has also appeared to blame some of Trump’s policies and decisions for problems hurting his campaign. According to audio obtained by Axios, Paxton told donors and lobbyists last month that the Iran war and high gas prices were hurting his campaign, according to CNN.
Paxton’s campaign rejected the idea that he was attacking Trump. Spokeswoman Madison Cercy said Paxton was simply talking about high gas and diesel prices and the financial pressure facing Texans. She also said Trump is trying to bring prices down.
Despite those controversies, Trump backed Paxton in the Republican primary runoff. Trump supported Paxton over Republican Sen. John Cornyn earlier this year, helping Paxton become the GOP Senate nominee.
Trump backs Paxton
Trump has supported Paxton politically but has also repeatedly mocked and criticized him. Trump changed his tone during Wednesday’s rally in San Antonio. Instead of attacking Paxton, Trump called him a “fantastic man” and said he was proud of him.
Trump also said Paxton would be an “unbelievable senator”, according to CNN. Paxton also welcomed Trump’s presence at the rally. He thanked Trump and asked the crowd whether they were glad the president had come to San Antonio.
Latino voters
Trump’s visit also has another purpose: reaching Latino voters. Trump’s approval among Latino voters was only 27% in a recent NBC News/Telemundo poll. Trump may be trying to improve his support among Latino voters while also helping Paxton in a key part of the state.
Trump’s approval rating is currently another major concern for Republicans. His approval rating is 34% in the latest CNN Poll of Polls, making his involvement potentially helpful for turning out his base but risky with independent or unhappy voters.
Why Texas matters
The bigger question for Trump is whether his personal political power can still deliver votes in a state he won comfortably in 2024. His repeated visits show how important the Texas race has become for the GOP as the November 3 midterms approach.
For Paxton, Trump’s visit is both an opportunity and a risk. Trump can bring large crowds, energy and his loyal MAGA base, but his low approval among some voters could also motivate Democrats and make it harder to win independents.
That is why Texas has become a key test of Trump’s influence in the 2026 midterms.