Donald Trump, James Talarico Rally

What happened

Updated Oct 28, 4:22pm ET

Donald Trump and James Talarico held competing rallies in Lubbock before the Texas Senate election. Trump campaigned for Republican nominee Ken Paxton at rallies in Corpus Christi and Lubbock, making a late push to turn out Republican voters. Paxton, the Texas attorney general, is running against Democratic state lawmaker Talarico for the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Republican John Cornyn. Public polls show Talarico narrowly ahead or the race essentially tied, despite Texas’s long Republican record statewide. Trump called Talarico too liberal for Texas. Talarico criticized Paxton as corrupt and said wealthy donors had too much influence. The election is scheduled for November 3.

How the left told it

Left-leaning outlets framed the rallies as a sign that Republicans had to defend Texas, with Senate control at stake. HuffPost cast Trump’s visit as a last-minute attempt to stop a Democratic statewide breakthrough. New Republic argued Trump was speaking mainly to loyal supporters, not persuadable voters. The New York Times highlighted Talarico’s message about beating billionaires and changing Texas politics.

How the right told it

Right-leaning outlets treated the rallies as proof that Texas had become a real battleground, while stressing conservative warnings about Talarico. Fox News emphasized Democratic strength reaching Republican areas, while noting concerns about Talarico’s base enthusiasm. Breitbart centered Trump’s attacks on Talarico’s views on energy, transgender issues and Texas values.