President Donald Trump's rally in San Antonio on Wednesday was repeatedly disrupted by protesters, some of whom were led away by police, as he campaigned for Senate candidate Ken Paxton.
Trump was interrupted at least a half dozen times during his speech, including by one demonstrator who appeared to be close to the stage. Trump stepped away from the microphone briefly and responded with a comment about his mother.
Trump said: “He’s going back home to mum. But what he doesn’t know is his mum voted for Trump.” He then told the crowd, “you know, many of these protesters are paid. You know that, right?”
Further disruptions and crowd reaction
Other demonstrators emerged one after the other, with some led away by police. Trump initially tried to talk through the disruptions while the crowd booed. As the interruptions continued, he said, “Those are really bad-looking people.”
The protests underscored the Republican Party's struggles in Texas during this year's midterms. Texas is the nation’s most populous reliably Republican state, where Trump won in 2024 by almost 14 percentage points. With Election Day less than a month away, Trump’s poor approval ratings, the Iran war and soaring gas prices have threatened Republicans in virtually every state.
Texas GOP divisions and key races
This was Trump's third trip to Texas in less than a month as the GOP tries to stave off a blue wave in a state it did not think would be in play this year.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott did not attend the evening rally at Freeman Coliseum, a sign of Trump’s poor standing. Abbott, a three-term Republican governor who won reelection in 2022 by roughly 11 percentage points, has been caught in the turbulent national currents. He is locked in a competitive reelection race against Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. Instead of appearing with Trump, Abbott was scheduled to headline the dedication of a hospital about 330 miles away.
Democrats seized on the governor’s absence. Texas Democratic Party spokesperson Jacob Long said: “For years, Greg Abbott has never been shy about embracing Donald Trump, calling Trump a ‘great friend’ and championing his agenda every step of the way. But now, as Texas families get crushed by record-high prices driven by Trump’s tariffs and war with Iran, suddenly Greg Abbott has somewhere else to be.”
Senate race in focus
While the race for governor has drawn a sudden influx of cash from Democrats, the state’s U.S. Senate race has drawn the most attention as Democrats fight for the chamber’s majority. The state has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988, but candidate James Talarico’s fundraising, Trump’s low approval rating and nagging concerns about Paxton’s character have put the race squarely in play.
Trump spent most of his remarks focused on the Texas Senate contest, describing Paxton as “perhaps the greatest attorney general in the United States of America.” He said of Paxton: “He was tough and he was with us all the way. He’s a fantastic man.”
Trump made no mention of the recently leaked recording of Paxton lamenting the war in Iran and rising fuel prices, while also complaining his campaign was being run by operatives in Washington. While Trump praised Paxton briefly at the beginning of his remarks, he spent far more time attacking Talarico, whom he referred to repeatedly as “Tala-freako.”
