The first day of the Republican midterm convention has come and gone, but President Donald Trump had a lot to say about Texas during his keynote speech.
From the border wall to the state energy industry, Trump had no shortage of quotes about Texas, its key issues and its races, in an effort to shore up Republican support ahead of midterms.
Most importantly, Trump weighed in on the nationally watched U.S. Senate race in Texas, as recent polling shows Democrats may have the edge as the election enters its final stretch toward Election Day.
Here's a look at what Trump had to say about Texas during his nearly two-hour keynote speech.
Trump doubles down on support for Ken Paxton in Texas Senate race
Trump has already endorsed Paxton and recently gave his campaign $10 million to fund his Senate bid through the president's
MAGA Inc. super PAC.
However, Trump is giving Paxton something else that may prove more valuable — his time on the campaign trail.
"I'll be coming back to Texas because we have to elect Ken Paxton," Trump said. "And if I have to, I'll come back twice or three times."
While Trump spoke highly of Paxton, calling him the "greatest attorney general" in Texas history and one of the top state attorneys in the nation, Trump also made a quip about how Paxton dresses.
However, the president was quick to remark on how Paxton "looked very spiffy in his blue suit" that night. But Trump also remarked on things that don't necessarily make Paxton an appealing candidate.
"He may not dress right. He may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I've ever seen," Trump said. "But you know what he is? He's the greatest attorney general in America, and he deserves to be your next senator."
Trump criticizes James Talarico's platform, appearance
While praising Paxton in one half of his speech, Trump criticized the Republican candidate's opponent, Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, in the other.
Trump consistently used a twisted version of the Democratic candidate's name — "Talafreako" — that Paxton's campaign and other Texas Republican leaders have been using throughout the election.
Trump used the nickname while attacking Talarico's appearance — comparing him to Alfred E. Neuman — and previous statements the candidate has since said he regretted making about Christianity.
"This guy would be a disaster, and he stated that he wants to totally dismantle capitalism," Trump said.
Trump also alleged that Talarico was a vegan, which the campaign has previously denied, and also authored a plan to "annihilate Texas oil and gas."
USA TODAY reached out to the Talarico campaign for a response to Trump's speech and characterizations of the candidate, but has not heard back.
The president pointed to these reasons as to why Texans should not vote for Talarico but rather for Paxton. However, recent polling in the race is showing a different story.
James Talarico narrowly leads Ken Paxton in Texas Senate polls
N+ Univision released its Sept. 9 pollthat showed Democratic state Rep. James Talarico with a narrow edge over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, 48% to 43%, with 7% undecided in the Texas Senate race.
The N+ Univision poll is the first released in September as the election cycle enters its final stretch toward Election Day, Nov. 3.
However, among the publicly released polls conducted in August, a Texas Public Opinion Research poll was the only one showing either candidate leading by more than the poll's margin of error.
Released Aug. 27, the poll showed Talarico leading Paxton by 6 percentage points, 48% to 42%, a lead outside the poll's 3.3-percentage-point margin of error. Democratic strategist Luke Warford directs the firm, though Texas Public Opinion Research describes itself as nonpartisan.
Before that, a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll published Aug. 25 found 42% of Texas voters preferred Talarico, while 39% planned to vote for Paxton in the closely watched U.S. Senate race.
Earlier polling painted a similarly tight picture. An Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media poll released Aug. 13 showed the Texas Senate race as a dead heat, with Paxton at 47% and Talarico at 46%.
A Texas Pulse/Texas A&M Bush School poll,released Aug. 7, showed Talarico leading 47% to 43%, while a Texas Southern University Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center poll released Aug. 4 showed Talarico ahead 47% to 45%, both within their respective margins of error.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump backs Paxton, mocks Talarico at Texas Republican convention
