President Donald Trump has challenged Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico to debate Republican nominee Ken Paxton, declaring that the Texas attorney general is “ready, willing, and able” to face his opponent ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
In a Truth Social post Wednesday night, Trump referred to Talarico as “James TalaFREAKo” and described him as “MISSING IN ACTION,” questioning his recent absence from the campaign trail.
Trump asked what was wrong with the Democratic candidate and claimed that “bad rumors” were circulating about him. He then urged Talarico to appear on a debate stage with Paxton, whom he praised as one of the country’s best attorneys general.
Trump also expressed confidence in Paxton’s prospects, saying he hoped the Republican would soon become a U.S. senator representing Texas.
Talarico’s Absence Sparks Debate Over Debate
Talarico’s campaign has said the state representative was diagnosed with the flu, explaining his recent pause in in-person campaigning. His absence became a focus of criticism from Trump and Paxton during a rally in San Antonio.
However, the debate challenge has also drawn attention to Paxton’s own record on the issue.
According to The Texas Tribune, Talarico has accepted invitations from CNN, Hearst, Nexstar and WFAA, and separately challenged Paxton to a Fox News debate moderated by Bret Baier. Paxton had not accepted those invitations as of the outlet’s October 8 report, and the candidates had not appeared together on a debate stage.
San Antonio Current journalist Michael Karlis also highlighted the dispute, noting that Talarico had accepted five debate proposals that Paxton had declined or not accepted.
Talarico’s campaign has said he has held more than 100 public events during the campaign and accused Paxton of avoiding engagement with Texas voters. Paxton’s campaign has previously expressed a willingness to debate, but the two sides have not agreed on a televised matchup. (The Texas Tribune)
Talarico Welcomes Trump’s Challenge
On Thursday, Talarico said he agreed with Trump that the candidates should debate and called on Paxton to accept.
That response shifted attention back to the Republican nominee, whose participation remains the key obstacle to scheduling a face-to-face debate. No debate had been confirmed in the reporting available on October 9. (The Washington Post)
A Closely Watched Texas Senate Contest
Paxton, Texas’ attorney general, won the Republican Senate nomination after defeating incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP primary runoff. Talarico, a Democratic state representative, secured his party’s nomination.
The contest has attracted national attention and substantial campaign spending as Republicans work to retain their Senate majority. Recent polling has shown a close race, though individual surveys differ and cannot determine the eventual outcome.
The candidates’ disagreement over a debate has become another point of contention in a campaign shaped by questions about the economy, immigration, healthcare and the direction of national politics.
With Election Day approaching, a debate would give voters an opportunity to compare the candidates’ positions directly. Whether the two campaigns can agree on a format and date remains unresolved.
