Trump backs Ken Paxton for Senate, criticizes rival for absence

Trump backs Ken Paxton for Senate, criticizes rival for absence

Trump endorses Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate while criticizing an unnamed political rival he calls “TalaFREAKo” for a 12-day absence.

Richard Miniter
First Published: October 8, 2026, 1:10 PM ET

— Donald J. Trump endorsed Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate while criticizing an unnamed political rival he nicknamed “TalaFREAKo” for a 12-day absence.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “TalaFREAKo has been missing for 12 days! Now, after looking for him throughout all of Texas, and beyond, probably even weirder places than anyone would think possible, he put out a statement that he has the “flu.” 12 days is a long time to rid yourself of the so-called flu bug. What’s going on? We need a Senator that’s a proven Champion like one that has been, without question, the Greatest Attorney General in the History of Texas, and one of the Greatest in the U.S.A. His name is Ken Paxton, and he will never let you down! Thank you for your attention to this matter. Trump” on October 8, 2026 at 1:01 PM ET.

This is Trump’s 4th message released today, and the last post was 43 minutes ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 17 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 48 of his 386 posts over the last 30 days classified as Elections posts.

President Donald J. Trump posed at WASHINGTON D.C.
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President Donald J. Trump posed at WASHINGTON D.C.

Molly Riley / the White House

Paxton serves as the 51st attorney general of Texas. He was sworn into office in January 2015 and leads more than 4,000 employees, according to texasattorneygeneral.gov. He won re-election to a second term in 2018 and a third term in 2022, according to texasattorneygeneral.gov.

Zenger analysis
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Zenger analysis

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President Trump is the author of The Art of the Deal, Think Like a Billionaire, and Think Big. Analyst and Trump supporter Rod Martin points to The Art of the Deal, Trump's 1987 book, as an explanation of his deal-making philosophy: making big announcements, pivoting often in public statements and, Martin says, ultimately getting what he wanted all along. Critics contend that Trump's books were published decades ago or were aimed at making money, not shedding light. "Generally," Martin said, "critics don't read The Art of the Deal. If they did, they would understand."

Trump on Truth Social
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