Trump's San Antonio Rally Disrupted by Protesters as Texas Senate Race Tightens
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President Donald Trump's rally in San Antonio on Wednesday night was repeatedly interrupted by protesters, with CBS News counting at least 10 people removed or seen leaving and ABC News counting at least a dozen interruptions. The event, held at Freeman Coliseum to boost Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, shows how competitive Texas has become with Election Day less than a month away.
According to the Associated Press, via ABC News, Trump's low approval ratings, the Iran war and rising gas prices have put Republicans at risk in nearly every state, including the largest reliably Republican one.
What happened at the rally
CBS News reported that less than 10 minutes into the speech, a person left the area near the stage while yelling. A man in a red hat grabbed that person's hair in what appeared to be a physical altercation, and other attendees separated them. Over the next hour, more people were escorted out by law enforcement or security as the crowd booed. At least one person was handcuffed. In some cases, supporters and demonstrators physically tangled before being separated.
Trump mocked those removed. After the first departure, he said the person was “going back home to mom,” adding that the person's mother had voted for him. He also made comments about the appearance of some of those removed. CBS News said it had asked local authorities and the Secret Service for more information about the ejections.
The race behind the rally
Paxton, the state attorney general, beat Sen. John Cornyn in a primary earlier this year. He now faces state Rep. James Talarico, who is trying to become the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas in more than three decades, according to CBS News. Most polls show Talarico narrowly ahead or tied with Paxton. ABC News noted that Texas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.
Trump attacked Talarico throughout the speech, casting him as too liberal for Texas. He said a Talarico win would turn the state into a “dirty, failing, crime-ridden third-world dumping ground,” according to CBS News. He also spent considerable time on immigration and the drop in unauthorized border crossings. He called Paxton “perhaps the greatest attorney general in the United States of America,” according to ABC News, and did not mention a recently leaked recording in which Paxton reportedly lamented the Iran war and fuel prices and complained that Washington operatives were running his campaign.
Other remarks included a pledge to award retired pitcher Roger Clemens the Presidential Medal of Freedom and support for the death penalty for large-scale drug dealers, human traffickers and anyone who kills a police officer. Trump also said Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, will be executed by firing squad, a method he approved earlier this week. The Talarico campaign did not immediately say where the candidate stands on that execution.
Trump also tried to clarify earlier comments about Iran possibly bombing American cities, which he has tied to a recurring line that high fuel costs are “a small price to pay” for the war. He said the U.S. would not let attacks on cities such as San Diego or Los Angeles happen.
What this means for Texas voters
For Texans, the race is drawing heavy attention and money. ABC News reported it was Trump's third Texas visit in less than a month, and that party officials have devoted more than $300 million to elections in the state so far. Control of the Senate majority is at stake, which gives the contest national weight.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott skipped the rally and was scheduled to attend a hospital dedication about 330 miles away. He is in a competitive reelection race against Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. Texas Democratic Party spokesperson Jacob Long said Abbott was avoiding Trump as families face high prices that he blamed on tariffs and the Iran war. Abbott's campaign response was not included in the sources.
What comes next
Election Day is less than a month away. CBS News is awaiting responses from local authorities and the Secret Service about the removals, and the sources do not say whether anyone faces charges.
