Trump Questions Talarico’s Whereabouts Amid Texas Senate Race

Trump Targets the Missing Candidate

President Donald Trump publicly questioned the whereabouts of Texas Senate candidate James Talarico late Wednesday night. The President posted on Truth Social that Talarico is “MISSING IN ACTION” after an extended period of time. He asked, “Where is he? What is wrong with him? Bad rumors are coming out.” With fewer than thirty days remaining before Election Day, these two men are getting ready to fight for a Senate seat when this remark was made.

Talarico, a Democrat, has canceled recent campaign events after contracting the flu. The candidate appeared virtually at a forum last week after initially planning to attend in person. The final sighting of him occurred during a campaign gathering in New York on Sept. 28.

Paxton Releases New Attack Ad

Republican candidate Ken Paxton released a new television ad on Wednesday to highlight Talarico’s absence. The ad claims that while Talarico’s team lies to voters, he is “nowhere to be seen.” The Washington Examiner reported that these attacks coincide with leaked audio from Paxton’s own fundraisers.

In that leaked recording, Paxton blamed the Iran war for “dragging” his campaign effort. He also noted that higher prices were causing voters to “feel the pinch.” Despite these challenges, the race has tightened in recent weeks. New polling data indicates that Paxton is now slightly behind, while Democrats aim to take the seat currently occupied by retiring Sen. John Cornyn.

Talarico Issues Direct Challenge

Talarico responded to the President’s comments by calling for a debate with Paxton. He stated, “President Trump just said Ken Paxton should debate. I agree. Ball’s in your court Ken.” Trump had praised Paxton as “one of the best Attorney Generals in the Country” in his earlier post. The President said he would “hopefully” see Paxton become a senator representing Texas.

The situation remains fluid as both campaigns prepare for the final stretch of the race. No further campaign events have been confirmed for Talarico in the immediate future. The next scheduled debate or public appearance has not been announced by either side.