President Donald Trump was repeatedly interrupted by protesters on Wednesday night as he urged Texas voters to back Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton at a rally in San Antonio. Demonstrators interrupted his remarks at the Freeman Coliseum, and some were led away by police. Reports differ on the number: The Guardian and the Associated Press said at least half a dozen, while The Hindu reported at least a dozen. The Guardian also reported that one protester was physically assaulted by an older Trump supporter as he tried to leave the arena.
Trump stepped away from the microphone briefly after one protester appeared to get close to the stage. "He's going back home to mom," he said after the man was removed. "But what he doesn't know is his mom voted for Trump." He first tried to talk through the disruptions as the crowd booed, then called the demonstrators "really bad-looking people" and, according to The Guardian, told them to "get the hell out of here". He also claimed without evidence that they were paid by enemies of the country.
The rally came as Republicans struggle in Texas, the most populous reliably Republican state in the US. Trump won it by almost 14 percentage points in 2024, but with Election Day less than a month away, his low approval ratings, the war with Iran and rising gas prices are putting Republicans under pressure in many states. A Reuters/Ipsos poll put his approval at 32%, and a New York Times/Siena College poll showed Democrat James Talarico leading Paxton 51% to 45% among likely voters. Texas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988. It was Trump's third visit to the state in less than a month, and the Associated Press reports that Republicans have devoted more than $300 million to Texas races.
Trump called Paxton, the state's attorney general, "perhaps the greatest attorney general in the United States of America", and Paxton thanked him for coming. But Trump spent far more time attacking Talarico, repeatedly calling him "Tala-freako" and making claims without evidence about his diet and whereabouts. He did not mention a leaked recording in which Paxton reportedly complained about the Iran war, higher fuel prices and operatives in Washington running his campaign. Trump had endorsed Paxton in the primary after turning against incumbent Senator John Cornyn, and last week called him "a pain in the ass sometimes".
Trump also addressed recent remarks that critics read as suggesting Iran could strike a US city. He said Iran might fire a missile at San Diego or Los Angeles, adding: "We're not going to let that happen. We protect our cities."
Republican Governor Greg Abbott, a close Trump ally, was absent, scheduled instead to dedicate a hospital about 330 miles away. He faces a competitive re-election race against Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa. Texas Democratic Party spokesperson Jacob Long said Abbott "suddenly has somewhere else to be" as families face high prices he blamed on Trump's tariffs and the Iran war.