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Paxton Mocks Talarico's Absence at Trump Rally

11:08 PM ETConfirmed

Politics Desk

In Short: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton questioned Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico's absence from the campaign trail during a Trump rally in San Antonio, prompting a response from Talarico's campaign.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton questioned Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico's absence from the campaign trail during a Trump rally in San Antonio, prompting a response from Talarico's campaign. Paxton led the crowd in chanting 'Where is Talarico?' while asserting that the Democrat had not been seen campaigning in Texas for 11 days.

Paxton's campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Talarico had not been seen campaigning for 11 days, urging attendees to participate in early voting, which begins Oct. 5. The exchange over Talarico's whereabouts comes as the candidates enter the final weeks of the campaign.

Talarico's campaign responded, stating that the Democrat had come down with the flu but would be back on the trail this weekend. 'After holding more than 100 public events and shaking tens of thousands of hands, James came down with the flu but will be back on the trail this weekend,' JT Ennis, a campaign spokesperson for Talarico, told Fox News Digital.

The latest Fox News Poll, released Thursday, found Talarico with 51% support among Texas likely voters and Paxton with 49%, a difference within the poll’s margin of sampling error. Talarico leads Paxton by 3.1 percent in the Real Clear Politics polling averages, and Silver Bulletin’s midterms forecast currently gives the Democrat a 74.3 percent chance of winning.

President Trump, who was at the rally, mocked Talarico's dietary preferences, suggesting without evidence that Talarico had become sick after eating meat for political reasons. Trump also criticized Talarico's positions on immigration, public safety, and education, while praising Paxton's record as Texas attorney general and urging voters to support his Senate bid.

Talarico's campaign spokesperson JT Ennis said in a statement to the San Antonio Current that the state representative and Presbyterian seminarian would 'be back on the trail soon.' Ennis added, 'The best thing to do was to put safety first and put everyone’s health first.'

Talarico has been touting cross-party endorsements he’s received from 21 current and former Republican officials in his campaign against the GOP nominee, state Attorney General Ken Paxton. According to Federal Election Commission data from the end of June, Talarico has about $21.5 million in cash on hand, while Paxton has about $1.75 million.

Angela Paxton, Ken Paxton's estranged wife, addressed the 'elephant in the room,' saying she would vote Republican this November without mentioning one GOP candidate by name: her estranged husband, Ken Paxton.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton questioned Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico's absence from the campaign trail during President Donald Trump's rally in San Antonio Wednesday, prompting a response from his opponent's campaign less than a month before the November midterm elections.
• Texas state Rep. James Talarico, the state’s Democratic nominee for Senate, is touting cross-party endorsements he’s received from 21 current and former Republican officials in his campaign against the GOP nominee, state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

What's still developing

• "Ken Paxton has been ignoring Texans this entire campaign, and his priorities are clear: He doesn’t answer to the people of this state. He answers to his billionaire megadonors and special interests."
• “He can be a pain in the ass sometimes. I'll be honest. Is he here, by the way. Oh, there he is. I didn't even know he was here. I don't care," Trump said.
• “I’ve brought Democrats and Republicans together to pass 60 bipartisan bills. Bills that lower the cost of housing, that lower the cost of childcare, that lower the cost of prescription drugs, including insulin,” Talarico said last month.
• The third important thing to understand is that even as Republicans go to the mat for this difficult man, spending money they’d far rather spend elsewhere, Paxton is undermining the effort to help him with comments that enrage his would-be saviors.
• Throughout his remarks, Trump repeatedly referred to Talarico as “Talafreako,” criticizing his record on immigration, energy policy, and child gender mutilation.
• The New York Times first reported on the leaked recording, which came from a small Paxton fundraiser where an attendee recorded the conversation.
• They also discuss Paxton’s political baggage, the Texas Senate race against James Talarico, and Angela Paxton’s unusual argument that Republicans should keep the seat “in the family” despite their ongoing divorce.
• “There is something happening in the Lone Star State,” Talarico told the crowd.
• “We have an affordability crisis because we have a corruption crisis,” he said.
• In the Texas Senate race, comments Republican Ken Paxton made in 2022 about the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, are circulating on social media, thanks to posts by his opponent, Democrat James Talarico, and the Democratic Party.
• Paxton, who has been the Texas attorney general since 2015, was interviewed by radio host and pastor Trey Graham in the days after the May 24, 2022, mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
• In 2022, a process server trying to deliver a subpoena to Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general of Texas, said he watched Angela Paxton drive him away from their home in a truck.

Sources

• Fox Newslink
• KVIIlink
• New York Magazinelink
• San Antonio Currentlink
• Texas Scorecardlink
• Washingtonexaminerlink
• Thebulwarklink
• Lufkindailynewslink
• Fox Newslink
• Factchecklink
• Seattletimeslink
• USA Todaylink
• WarpBeat — background on Trump Stumps for Paxton in San Antonio Rally link
• WarpBeat — background on Trump Rally in Ohio Amid Layoffs at Truck Factory link
• FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth — video link