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Politics

Trump campaigns for Paxton in Texas, third visit in a month

Trump appeared in Corpus Christi and Lubbock as NBC News reports Talarico holds a narrow polling lead.

Updated Oct 28, 2026 · 06:25 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • Trump made his third Texas trip in a month on Tuesday, campaigning for Republican candidates before next week's midterm elections.[Associated Press]
  • He visited Corpus Christi and Lubbock to back Republican Ken Paxton's Senate campaign against Democrat James Talarico.[Associated Press]
  • AP reports Elon Musk appears to have contributed at least $158 million aimed at defeating Talarico.[Associated Press]
  • A judge ruled Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa must be allowed to review over 1,000 unredacted Musk-Abbott pages by Thursday.[Associated Press]

Key facts

  • Trump visited Texas on Tuesday for his third trip in a month to campaign for Republican candidates before the midterm elections.[Associated Press]
  • Trump traveled to Corpus Christi and Lubbock to support Republican Ken Paxton's Senate campaign against Democrat James Talarico.[Associated Press]
  • NBC News reports Talarico has held a narrow lead in polling with about one week until the election.[NBC News]
  • AP reports Elon Musk appears to have contributed at least $158 million toward defeating Talarico.[Associated Press]
  • A judge ruled that Gina Hinojosa must be allowed to review over 1,000 unredacted pages of communications between Musk and Governor Greg Abbott by Thursday.[Associated Press]
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared briefly on stage with Trump during the Texas campaign stops.[NBC News · Associated Press]
  • Talarico's campaign said more than 4,000 people signed up to attend his Lubbock event on Tuesday night.[NBC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The $158 million Musk figure is described by AP as an apparent contribution, and the reporting does not confirm its full scope.[Associated Press]
  • The polling lead is a snapshot from one report, and the race is described as competitive, so the outcome is not settled.[NBC News · Associated Press]
  • The 4,000 sign-up figure comes from Talarico's campaign and has not been independently verified in the reporting.[NBC News]
  • A State Department official said Rubio traveled as national security adviser rather than secretary of state, a distinction the reporting presents without further explanation.[Associated Press]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.