Trump pledges aggressive Paxton support at Texas GOP midterm convention

At the Texas GOP midterm convention in Dallas, President Trump pledged to campaign hard for Attorney General Ken Paxton, praising him while joking about Paxton’s appearance and telling supporters to pretend Trump is on the ballot. The keynote framed a broad effort to energize the GOP base ahead of the fall elections, with Trump highlighting border security, promising a possible $5,000 dividend if Republicans control Congress, and signaling repeated visits to Texas. The event underscored a competitive Texas Senate race involving Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, amid Democratic counter-programming and national questions about Trump’s standing, while emphasizing campaign-style attacks on opponents throughout the proceedings.