By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-10-01 22:57:06 | Updated at 2026-10-03 03:57:12
1 day ago
President Donald Trump landed in the Lone Star State on Oct. 1 to kick off a 32-day campaign across the United States aimed at boosting support for Republicans facing tough races in the November midterms.
Trump started his campaign blitz by touring Peterbilt Motors’ factory in Denton, Texas, approximately 40 miles northwest of Dallas.
His speech on Thursday highlighted the resurgence of manufacturing in the United States and attempted to energize voter support for candidates such as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, who is in the middle of a tight U.S. Senate race against Democrat James Talarico.
“Workers like you and companies like this, have always been loyal to our country but for decades, you were heartlessly betrayed by politicians—lousy politicians who let foreign trade cheaters plunder your wages, loot your factories, close up your jobs, and they robbed our country blind,” Trump said to a sea of approximately 1,000 workers wearing blue caps with the Peterbilt logo and American flag.
Trump added, “They'd still be doing it if I wasn’t here, believe me, and they’ll do it again if you don’t get guys like Ken Paxton elected.”
The president stood on a stage flanked by shiny new tractor trailer cabs as a backdrop, telling Paxton, “I think you’re going to win the election.”
During the president’s speech, he also congratulated the workers for making 200 trucks per day.
“They sell them so fast,” Trump said. “They sell them faster than they can make them. If you can believe it, that’s why you’re expanding, and you’re doing a big expansion and [I’m] so proud to be here and be with you to celebrate that.”
A Peterbilt spokesperson said the Denton warehouse added more than 1,000 jobs since Trump imposed tariffs on imported trucks in his second term.
Its parent company PACCAR Inc. is over a century old and builds U.S.-sold Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks in the United States with plants in Texas, Ohio, Mississippi, Washington, and Kentucky.
The crowd held signs that read “American Trucks” and “American Jobs” during the event.
Trump was also in Texas weeks ago to give the headlining speech at the first-ever 2026 Republican Midterm Convention, promising to give American citizens $5,000 if the Republicans keep the majority in the U.S. House and Senate after the election.
Before the historic September convention, the super PAC associated with Trump, MAGA Inc., gave $10 million to help Paxton’s campaign, according to Federal Election Commission filing on Sept. 5.
The filing shows money was evenly split into two media campaigns: a $5 million spend for an ad against Talarico and a separate $5 million budget to promote Paxton.
Republican Senate candidate Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Republican convention in Dallas on Sept. 9, 2026. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
The Cook Political report moved the Senate race’s ranking in Texas from “leans Republican” to a toss-up on Aug. 20, months after Paxton ousted sitting Senator John Cornyn in the GOP primary.
The majority of recent polls taken in September show Talarico with a slight edge over Paxton.
The Epoch Times contacted Talarico’s campaign for comment on Trump’s visit to Texas but did not hear back by publication time.
Talarico has had some high profile names stomping for him, including billionaire Mark Cuban.
Democratic Senate candidate Texas state Rep. James Talarico talks with people at a food drive at the Frederick Douglass Human Services and Justice Center in Dallas on Sept. 9, 2026. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) joined the campaign event at the plant on Thursday, showing support for Trump’s agenda.
“President Trump is delivering on his promise to put American workers and American manufacturing first,” Jackson said in a statement ahead of the event.
Jackson, a retired Navy rear admiral who served as physician to the president under Barack Obama and Donald Trump, is up for reelection this fall for Texas’s 13th District, which is considered a “solid Republican” race, per the Cook Political report.
“Right here in Texas, we’re seeing what happens when we cut red tape, unleash American industry, and stand up for our workers,” Jackson said. “The thousands of jobs created by Paccar are proof that America is open for business again, and I’m proud to stand with President Trump as we continue bringing jobs, investment, and critical manufacturing back home.”
Trump will speak at the Choctaw Event Center in Durant, Oklahoma for a Republican National Committee-organized rally near the Texas border, which could attract supporters from neighboring Texas.
Trump will head to Alabama on Friday, Ohio on Saturday, and Nebraska on Monday.
