President Donald Trump has a blunt message for Texas Republicans: Don't let Democrats flip the state's U.S. Senate seat, or things could get bad fast.
Trump made the warning Sept. 2 as a guest on Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's "Lt. Dan Podcast," saying the race could go "bad very fast" if voters elect Democratic state Rep. James Talarico to replace U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.
"I hope people realize it because sometimes they want change when change isn't necessary," Trump said. "Sometimes when they want change, even if you're doing a great job, but if they change Texas, Texas will be a disaster."
During his 30-minute conversation with Patrick, Trump laid out the importance of Republicans remaining in control of the state and electing the Republican candidate
on the ticket — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Trump took a few opportunities to throw jabs at Talarico, calling him a "weirdo" and saying that, if elected, he would push an ideology no one from Texas wants.
Trump on Paxton: May have been the best attorney general in the whole country
On the other hand, Trump praised Paxton, calling him a "good man" and saying he "may have been the best attorney general in the whole country."
"Ken was phenomenal at his job, and he was loyal to the Republican Party. He was loyal to the state of Texas. He was great," Trump said.
Both Patrick and Trump stressed several times in the interview how vital Texas was to the Republican Party maintaining control of the federal government. Trump even went as far as to say that if Texas flipped and several other political factors aligned, he may be the last Republican president.
The interview was released days before the national Republican Party is set to convene in Dallas for the first-ever Midterm Convention, where both Trump and Vice President JD Vance are set to speak during the two-day convention.
What do recent Texas Senate polls show?
Of the publicly released polls conducted in August, the recent Texas Public Opinion Research survey is 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 on 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.
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 warns Texas could be 'a disaster' if Talarico beats Paxton
