Trump backs Paxton, mocks Talarico at Texas Republican convention
Trump used his convention speech to back Paxton, promise campaign visits and attack Talarico.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
The page identifies this as a USA TODAY article, and the reporting is attributed to USA TODAY Network journalists. Yahoo News is the host, but the reporting organization is an established news network; the supplied text does not establish its correction practices.
- Author attribution — Names two USA TODAY Network journalists and identifies the original USA TODAY publication.
- Source type — The article is attributed to an established news organization, though the recorded source type is unknown.
- Transparency — The page identifies the originating publication and includes journalist contact information.
The article attributes Trump’s claims and the campaign’s response, and provides figures from several named polls. The poll summaries offer useful context, though the article gives limited detail on methodology and relies in part on campaign statements.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article gives substantial space to Trump’s arguments and includes a campaign response, then adds polling context from multiple organizations. It does not provide a direct response from Paxton or independently test all campaign claims.
- Counterarguments presented — Talarico’s spokesperson responds to Trump’s criticism and describes the candidate’s record.
- Source diversity — The article cites several polling organizations alongside statements from Trump and Talarico’s campaign.
- Omitted context — The article does not include a direct response from Paxton or detailed evidence testing the candidates’ competing claims.
The article reports Trump’s praise and criticism, includes a response from Talarico’s campaign, and summarizes polls from several sources. Its campaign rhetoric is attributed rather than presented as the article’s own judgment.
- Source selection — Includes Trump’s remarks, a response from Talarico’s campaign, and polling from multiple organizations.
- Language tone — The article mostly uses descriptive language and attributes the sharper rhetoric to Trump.
- Framing — Covers both the convention speech and the close Senate race rather than adopting either candidate’s claims as fact.
Republished with credit
Republished from USA Today, with credit to the original publisher.
Not enough stories yet: 4 of 10.
At a Texas Republican convention, Donald Trump endorsed Ken Paxton and attacked James Talarico, while Talarico’s campaign pushed back. Recent polls cited in the article showed a close Texas Senate race, with Talarico narrowly ahead in several surveys.
At the Republican convention in Dallas, Trump said he would return to Texas to help elect Paxton and praised him as a candidate, while also making remarks about his appearance. Trump criticized Talarico’s platform and appearance and alleged that he wanted to dismantle capitalism and Texas’s oil and gas industry. Talarico’s spokesperson disputed Trump’s portrayal and cited Talarico’s legislative record and campaign activities.
The article reports that an N+ Univision poll released Sept. 9 had Talarico leading Paxton 48% to 43%, with 7% undecided. It also summarizes several August polls, which generally showed a close race and often gave Talarico a narrow lead.
Community verdict
17 VOTESPeople in this story
SWIPE →President who endorsed Paxton and criticized Talarico in his convention speech
Democratic Senate candidate criticized by Trump and represented in the race polling
Talarico's version of this story ↗Part of a bigger story
9 OUTLETSOutlets agree that Trump spoke at the Dallas Republican midterm convention and urged Republicans to campaign and vote in the midterms. Left-leaning outlets portray the gathering as a sign of Republican weakness and stress Trump's Paxton endorsement and attacks on Talarico. Center outlets focus on his campaign remarks and the convention's staging or audience comparisons. Right-leaning outlets emphasize vulnerable incumbents appearing with Trump and their defense of that association.
- ARTICLES
- 9
- OUTLETS
- 9
- AVG CRED
- 74
- Fox News · Vulnerable GOP incumbents embrace Trump at first-ever midterm convention
- Hindustan Times · Trump's RNC convention speech beaten by Jimmy Kimmel's James Talarico interview in views; check numbers
- KIMT News 3 · Trump steps on Vance's primetime moment and other takeaways from RNC convention's second night | News
Discussion · 0
Loading comments…

