Trump blames Republicans for Ken Paxton's struggle in Texas Senate race
Polls show Democratic nominee James Talarico slightly ahead of Paxton, as Trump attacks John Cornyn and Karl Rove on Truth Social.
At a glance
- Trump accused Republicans John Cornyn and Karl Rove of working against Texas Senate nominee Ken Paxton.
- Polls show Democratic nominee James Talarico with a slight lead over Paxton, Texas attorney general since 2015.
- Trump called Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries a "disgrace" and criticised Zelenskyy.
Donald Trump has accused fellow Republicans of "doing everything possible to make it hard" for Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee in the Texas Senate race, in a post on Truth Social.
Trump criticised the incumbent senator John Cornyn and the political strategist Karl Rove, claiming they were "sadly, and very stupidly" working against Paxton because of personal jealousy towards him, and accused the pair of "hurting Texas and, more importantly, hurting the United States of America!"
He added: "If Ken Paxton loses, it will be because of WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Political Hacks like John Cornyn and Karl Rove, who have ineffectively opposed me for my entire political career."
Democratic nominee holds slight poll lead
Texas is seen by many in the Republican party as a safe seat, but polls show the Democratic nominee, James Talarico, with a slight lead over Paxton, who has served as attorney general of Texas since 2015.
A loss for Paxton would be seen as a major blow for Trump and the GOP, and would be the first time a Republican had not won a Senate election in Texas since 1988.
New press secretary on briefings
Katie Zacharia, the White House's new press secretary, has said it is "unknown" how much she will engage with the press or hold briefings with reporters.
Questions about her legal credentials continue to be asked following revelations that she failed the California bar exam after graduating from law school.
Trump on Ukraine
Trump also labelled a series of Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries a "disgrace", and described Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as "more difficult to deal with than Putin".
Source: The Guardian.
Questions and answers
- Who is the Republican nominee in the Texas Senate race?
- Ken Paxton, who has served as attorney general of Texas since 2015. Polls show him slightly behind the Democratic nominee, James Talarico.
- Why is Trump attacking John Cornyn and Karl Rove?
- Trump claims the senator and the political strategist are working against Ken Paxton out of personal jealousy, and says they are "hurting Texas".
- What has Trump said about Ukraine?
- Trump called Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries a "disgrace" and said Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is "more difficult to deal with than Putin".
