Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton used a high-profile Trump rally in San Antonio to publicly question Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s 11-day absence from the campaign trail.
Paxton led the crowd at Freeman Coliseum in chanting “Where is Talarico?” targeting his Democratic rival with less than a month remaining before the November midterm elections.
President Donald Trump amplified the attack during his own remarks at the rally, repeatedly referencing Talarico’s absence while campaigning on Paxton’s behalf.
Trump suggested without evidence that Talarico had become sick after eating meat for political reasons, mocking the Democrat’s dietary preferences in front of the crowd.
The president also criticized Talarico’s positions on immigration, public safety, and education, while praising Paxton’s record as Texas attorney general and urging voters to back his Senate bid.
Talarico’s campaign responded quickly, telling Fox News Digital that the Democrat had fallen ill with the flu and would return to 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,” said JT Ennis, a campaign spokesperson for Talarico.
Ennis also went on offense against Paxton, accusing the Republican of neglecting ordinary Texans throughout the campaign in favor of wealthy donors.
“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,” Ennis said.
Trump’s visit to San Antonio was part of a broader Republican mobilization effort ahead of the midterms, with the president urging attendees to vote early starting October 19 or on Election Day itself.
The president stressed the significance of the Texas Senate race to Republicans’ broader goal of maintaining control of Congress, warning supporters about the risks of Democrats gaining seats.
The public back-and-forth over Talarico’s whereabouts underscores the intensity of a race that has attracted national attention and significant outside spending in its final weeks.
