President Donald Trump held back-to-back rallies in Texas Tuesday, where he falsely claimed Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is vegan and gushed over Ohio GOP Sen. Jon Husted’s rear once again.
At his first stop in Corpus Christi, Trump mocked Talarico: “You ever see him go to a barbecue and he’s trying to show, ‘I love the meat. Ahhh.’ And then you see him – where is he? He’s behind the tent puking.”
Talarico has denied claims that he is secretly vegan, a grave offense in America’s barbecue heartland.
At the same event, Trump suggested making Venezuela the “51st state.”
He then appeared in Lubbock, where he couldn’t help but revisit his story about examining Husted’s body.
“I made the mistake of saying – that I started off by studying his a**,” the president said. “And then I looked at his feet, and they were massive. Then I looked at his hands... He has fingers like sausages.”
The president was in Texas to drum up support for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton and others ahead of next week’s midterm elections.
Surveys indicate the Republican Party could sustain severe losses on November 3, potentially costing them their congressional majorities.
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Key Points
- Donald Trump continues to claim James Talarico is vegan
- President suggests making Venezuela the '51st state'
- Trump says he will accept midterm results ‘if they’re honest elections’
- The president's midterm rallies have been filled with gaffes and odd remarks
- Trump's approval rating has plummeted to historic lows, polls show
Trump says oil-rich Venezuela could soon become America's 51st state
09:30 , Joe SommerladHere’s more on the president’s suggestion that the Central American state whose president he captured and extradited in January could join the United States, a comment made as part of a brag about an oil tanker that, he said, can hold a million barrels of oil.
Trump says oil-rich Venezuela could soon become America's 51st state
Trump takes credit for Netanyahu election performance
09:00 , Joe SommerladOver on Truth Social, the president has been taking credit for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanayhu’s performance in Tuesday’s Knesset election.
There is not yet a clear winner in the election, which is the first time Israelis have headed to the polls since the October 7 attacks.
Trump nevertheless posted a quote attributed to one Irving C Schwartz that read:
“When President Trump endorsed Bibi Netanyahu, the whole tide turned, and now, rather than a decisive defeat for a Great Prime Minister, it looks like a big come-from-behind stalemate, or even a WIN for Netanyahu. It all took place AFTER the Endorsement by President Trump, who only wants what is good for the Middle East, Israel, and the United States of America!”
Here’s more from Owen Scott.
Trump claims takes for Netanyahu’s performance in Israeli election
Democrats are leading Republicans by 11 points in House races
08:30 , Rachel DobkinMore likely voters would vote for the Democratic candidate, 52 percent, than the Republican candidate, 41 percent, in races for the House of Representatives in their district, according to a new New York Times/Siena University poll.
Some House Republicans have secretly admitted that they will lose the majority this November, according to a Politico report published earlier this month.
“President Trump has made this election all about himself,” one GOP lawmaker said. “Now we have to survive that political storm.”
Read on...
House Republicans are secretly admitting that they will lose the majority: report
Seeing double? Paxton makes brief remarks at rally dressed like Trump
08:02 , Rachel DobkinAfter Donald Trump repeatedly mocked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s fashion sense, the Republican Senate candidate showed up at a rally dressed like the president.
Both of them wore a navy blue suit with a red tie as they stood on stage in Corpus Christi Tuesday afternoon.
“Isn’t he amazing?” Paxton said of Trump to cheers from the crowd. “Mr. President, I’m so grateful to have you here in Texas.
“You are making a difference, not just for Texas, but he’s traveling the country. I’ve never seen anybody work harder.”
Trump calls Ken Paxton on stage. He speaks for a total of under 20 seconds. pic.twitter.com/wxCz4m0q6o
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2026
Trump says his supporters wouldn't be able to afford a hamburger at Mar-a-Lago
07:06 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump invited his Texas supporters to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida — then he retracted the offer, saying they couldn’t even afford a hamburger there.
As Americans struggle to afford necessities like gas and groceries, Trump told the crowd at a rally in Corpus Christi not to go to Mar-a-Lago, saying, “It's not a good place if you're price-conscious.”
The president was talking about his promise of $5,000 checks to Americans if Republicans keep control of Congress after next week’s midterm elections.
"You could even come to Mar-a-Lago,” Trump said Tuesday afternoon. “You'll be my guest at Mar-a-Lago. The problem is that for $5,000 the most you'll be able to buy is a hamburger and maybe a small dessert.
“I'm not even sure you could buy that! No, don't go there. It's not a good place if you're price-conscious."
Trump: You'll be my guest at Mar a Lago. The problem is that for $5000, the most you'll be able to buy is a hamburger and maybe a small dessert. I'm not even sure you could buy that. No, don't go there. That's not a good place. pic.twitter.com/FzsSXySrqp
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 27, 2026
Democrats' two-word response to JD Vance asking Americans for 'another chance' ahead of midterms
06:03 , Rachel DobkinThe Democratic Party gave a two-word response to Vice President JD Vance asking Americans for “another chance” ahead of the midterm elections.
The party’s X account reacted to clip of Vance on the All In podcast last month, in which he asked voters, “Give us another chance or give us another couple of years to continue to work on the amazing things we’ve been doing for the last two years.”
”Absolutely not,” the Democrats told Vance in an X post Tuesday.
Jon Husted makes Trump the butt of the joke
05:01 , Rachel DobkinRepublican Ohio Senator Jon Husted joined in on the jokes about his body, telling supporters that he’s been “working out” ahead of President Donald Trump’s latest visit.
Trump has repeatedly commented on Husted’s looks, saying that he “examined his a**.”
"The president is coming in tomorrow again to Ohio,” Husted said at an event Tuesday. “Don't worry, I was in the weight room this morning working out. I don't want to let him down."
Husted: "The president is coming in tomorrow again to Ohio. Don't worry, I was in the weight room this morning working out. I don't want to let him down." pic.twitter.com/07XHN0Wa5V
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2026
ICYMI: Trump Mississippi rally interrupted by heckler
04:01 , Owen ScottPresident Donald Trump’s speech to a Mississippi rally Monday was interrupted by a protester who told him to “shove that ballroom up your fat a**.”
The insult, referring to Trump’s huge ballroom project at the White House, was the latest in a series of heckles at the president’s midterm campaign rallies.
Trump was in the Magnolia State to drum up support for Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, as his party battles against grim polling ahead of the November elections.
Read on...
Trump Mississippi rally interrupted by heckler: ‘Shove that ballroom up your a**’
Watch: Trump says he will accept midterm results — but only if they're 'honest'
03:23 , Rachel DobkinPaxton and Talarico are neck-and-neck in Texas polls. How are Republicans in other pro-Trump states doing?
02:45 , Rachel DobkinThere are several states that have reliably voted for President Donald Trump before — but he may not be able to convince voters of choosing a Republican this time around.
Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico are neck-and-neck in their Senate race. Talarico gained a 5-point lead over Paxton in a new N+ Univison/YouGov poll, but it’s still a toss-up.
Former Democratic Congressman Sherrod Brown was leading Republican Senator Jon Husted by several points in recent polls, but a new NetChoice/Echelon Insights survey has them tied at 47 percent of voter support.
In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton was ahead of Republican Senator Roger Marshall by one point in an InsiderAdvantage poll conducted earlier this month. In another poll conducted a few days later, Marshall was up by one point.
Jon Stewart zeroes in on Trump's 'big butts' fixation that has taken over his rallies
02:03 , Brendan RasciusJon Stewart skewered President Donald Trump over his repeated remarks about “big butts” in the lead-up to the midterm elections.
During at least four rallies this month, the 80-year-old president has marveled at Ohio Senator John Husted’s behind, declaring in Kentucky: “I examined his a**.” He gave the same treatment to Nicki Minaj one week later in Michigan, stating that the pro-Trump rapper has “one hell of a beautiful a**.”
“Voters are for some reason fixated on the economy, cost of living, the war in Iran,” Stewart said on Monday’s episode of The Daily Show. “Donald Trump is actually back out there on the campaign trail to make his closing arguments. I imagine the president will be laser focused on the issues that matter most.”
The comedian then cut to a montage of Trump discussing derrieres.
Read on...
Jon Stewart zeroes in on Trump’s ‘big butts’ fixation
Trump continues his bizarre claim that James Talarico is vegan
01:08 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has continued to bizarrely claim that Democrat Texas Senate candidate James Talarico is vegan, mentioning it in both rallies he hosted in Texas on Tuesday.
At his first rally in Corpus Christi, Trump said of Talarico, “You ever see him go to a barbecue and he’s trying to show, ‘I love the meat. Ahhh.’ And then you see him — where is he? He’s behind the tent puking.”
Talarico has denied claims that he is vegan.
Ken Paxton praises Trump after president constantly mocked him: 'I really like you too'
01:02 , Rachel DobkinKen Paxton has praised Donald Trump after the president constantly mocked him about how he dressed.
“It’s pretty fun to hang out with the president of the United States for the whole day,” Paxton, now wearing a navy blue suit and red tie just like Trump, said at the second rally that Trump hosted in Texas on Tuesday.
“He said something to me as we were arriving in Lubbock. He said, ‘You know, I don’t usually do two rallies for anybody.’ He said, ‘I must really like you.’
“Mr. President, I really like you too,” Paxton said as he looked over at Trump.
Trump announces plan to pull back Biden-era methane regulations
00:37 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has announced a plan to pull back Biden-era methane regulations, saying “paying more at the pump is going to come down really fast.”
“I’m pleased to announce another historic action to bring down energy costs and unleash Texas energy,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Texas Tuesday night.
“Under crooked Joe Biden, Democrats crushed the small oil and gas operators...with crippling regulations on methane that caused prices to skyrocket.
“Tonight I’m officially terminating Biden’s expensive and unnecessary methane regulations to save consumers and energy producers $45 billion in costs.”
Trump’s announcement comes as his war in Iran drags on for nearly eight months. The war has disrupted maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway for oil tankers. Gas prices have surged as a result.
Trump continues to float Ted Cruz as potential Supreme Court justice
00:27 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has continued to float Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz as a potential Supreme Court justice.
“I would pick Ted Cruz to be the new Supreme Court justice,” Trump told his supporters in Texas Tuesday night.
“The democrats will 100 percent vote for it because they hate the guy and they want to get rid of him,” the president added.
Cruz has a law degree from Harvard. After graduating from law school, Cruz clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist.
Trump continues to gush over Jon Husted's rear
00:18 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump cannot stop talking about Republican Senator Jon Husted’s rear.
“I never really looked at him because it’s never really been my thing to look at men — I like men, but I’ve never been particularly attracted, sorry,” Trump told his supporters in Texas Tuesday night.
”I made the mistake of saying — that I started off by studying his a**,” the president said, speaking about a previous rally in Ohio that he held to boost support for Husted. “And then I looked at his feet, and they were massive. Then I looked at his hands...he has fingers like sausages.”
Trump then blamed the media for running with his comments — despite the president repeatedly bringing up the incident himself.
“The fake news did it to me,” he said. “They only covered the a** part.”
Trump says Rep. Ilhan Omar is from a 's***house country'
Tuesday 27 October 2026 23:56 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has continued his attacks against Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, calling her native country a “s***house.”
“She comes from a country — it's got nothing. It’s considered one of the worst couple of countries in the world,” Trump said, suggesting Somalia was a “s***house.”
Trump is heckled minutes into rally speech
Tuesday 27 October 2026 23:43 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has been heckled minutes into his speech in Lubbock, Texas, Tuesday night.
Trump has been routinely interrupted by protesters during his blitz of cross-country rallies ahead of the midterm elections. The president typically responds to these hecklers with “your mom” or fat jokes.
Trump says he's campaigning harder for other Republicans than he did for himself
Tuesday 27 October 2026 23:34 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has said he's campaigning harder for other Republicans than he did when he ran for president.
“I’ve done more rallies than I’ve ever done for myself,” Trump told supporters in Lubbock, Texas, Tuesday night.
The president has hosted daily rallies in the lead-up to the November 3 election, trying to drum up support for Republican candidates in several tight races so his party can keep control of Congress.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump was in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he suggested making Venezuela America’s “51st state.”
End of the Trump era? Top US polling analyst shares prediction as midterms loom
Tuesday 27 October 2026 23:29 , Brendan RasciusThe November midterm elections, now just one week away, could bring down the curtain on the Trump era, a top polling analyst has said.
Nate Silver, the founder of FiveThirtyEight and publisher of Silver Bulletin, made the comment during an interview with New York Times podcaster Ezra Klein released on Tuesday.
The pair discussed polls saying Republicans could face heavy losses on Election Day, as voters express frustration over the cost of living and the ongoing Iran war, and as President Donald Trump’s approval rating languishes at historic lows.
“If the election goes roughly as the polls say it will go, then in some ways it would mark the end of the Trump era, I think,” Silver said.
“He’ll still be president for two more years,” he continued. “But the minute the election, the votes, are counted…the 2028 election campaign begins, and if Trump has a bad night, as polls show, then he’s a super-lame duck, right? You might draw an analogy to Bush after 2006.”
Read on...
End of the Trump era? Top US polling analyst shares prediction as midterms loom
Watch: Trump says Venezuela can be the '51st state'
Tuesday 27 October 2026 22:51 , Rachel DobkinTrump is in Texas to support Ken Paxton. How is the attorney general polling?
Tuesday 27 October 2026 22:08 , Rachel DobkinRepublican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is in a tight race with Democrat James Talarico.
Talarico was ahead of Paxton by 5 points, 50 to 45 percent, in a N+ Univison/YouGov poll.
The Democrat had a smaller lead in an ActiVote poll. He was ahead of Paxton by 2 points, 51 to 49 percent.
The two candidates were tied at 49 percent in a Beacon Research/Shaw & Company Research poll.
Man who yelled ‘Trump’s a loser’ during protest in his tiny Oregon town sues cops and lawmaker after arrest
Tuesday 27 October 2026 21:30 , Brendan RasciusAn Oregon man who was arrested after he yelled “Trump’s a loser” during solo protests in his tiny hometown is suing city and county officials for infringing on his right to free speech, according to a report.
Neil Daniels, 59, filed a $75,000 civil suit earlier this month over his October 2024 arrest for disorderly conduct. He alleges that Coos County Commissioner Rod Taylor, a Trump supporter who claims the 2020 presidential election was stolen and was at the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 riots, called 911 on him.
Rhian Lubin reports...
Oregon man who yelled ‘Trump’s a loser’ during protest sues cops after arrest
2026 midterms are the most expensive in US history: report
Tuesday 27 October 2026 21:00 , Brendan RasciusThe 2026 midterm election cycle has already become the most expensive in American history, according to NBC News, citing data from AdImpact.
So far, upwards of $11.21 billion has been spent on political ads by Democrats and Republicans.
Trump reveals the one condition that will get him to accept midterm results
Tuesday 27 October 2026 20:17 , Brendan RasciusPresident Donald Trump has revealed the one condition that will get him to accept the results of the upcoming midterm elections, even if his party loses races.
Trump said that once the ballots are counted, he will accept the results no matter what — as long as they are “honest.” His comment was eerily similar to what he said in the lead-up to the 2024 election, which he ultimately won.
Rachel Dobkin reports...
Trump reveals the one condition that will get him to accept midterm results
Trump says the US is 'making a fortune' because of the Iran war
Tuesday 27 October 2026 20:04 , Brendan RasciusWhile talking about oil refineries, President Trump said that the U.S. is “making a fortune” as a result of the Iran war.
“Your country is making an absolute fortune because of the situation in the Middle East,” he told supporters in Texas. “We’re steering them all to Texas…Everybody is a beneficiary, the whole country.”
Trump suggests making Venezuela the '51st state'
Tuesday 27 October 2026 19:48 , Brendan RasciusDuring his speech in Corpus Christi, President Donald Trump suggested making Venezuela America’s “51st state.”
“Who knows, maybe someday soon it will become a prosperous 51st state,” the president told a crowd of supporters, resulting in cheers. “Let’s make it the 51ast state, and then instead of a president we’ll have an election for a governor.”
Trump urges supporters to watch right-wing coverage of his Texas rally
Tuesday 27 October 2026 19:07 , Brendan RasciusPresident Trump urged his supporters to tune into a right-wing streaming platform ahead of his first rally in Texas on Tuesday.
“Heading into Corpus Christi, Texas,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Watching Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN),” he wrote. “Their coverage of our Rallies is truly spectacular! The enthusiasm for America, and what we stand for, is a beautiful thing to watch, especially since it is not constantly interrupted by RINOS, Dumocrats, and Radical Left Jihadists spewing America Hating nonsense.”
The president focuses on Nicki Minaj's 'beautiful' behind during campaign rally
Tuesday 27 October 2026 19:00 , Brendan RasciusTrump's bid to make the midterms about himself may have backfired, poll finds
Tuesday 27 October 2026 18:30 , Brendan RasciusPresident Trump has repeatedly framed the upcoming midterm elections as a referendum on himself, urging supporters to “pretend I’m on the ballot.”
But his bid to make the elections about himself may have backfired, according to a Politico poll released last week.
Democratic voters are more motivated to vote against the president in the November 3 elections than are Republicans to turn out and support him and Republican candidates, the survey found.
Echoing Trump, Mike Johnson says polls predicting GOP bloodbath are wrong
Tuesday 27 October 2026 17:45 , Brendan RasciusHouse Speaker Mike Johnson has echoed President Donald Trump’s view that the polls predicting a GOP bloodbath are wrong.
“I think [polls are] even further off this time because more and more Republicans are unwilling to participate in these surveys,” Johnson told Fox News on Monday evening. “They don’t want to give their information to someone on the phone. They’re calling it the partisan nonresponse bias.”
ANALYSIS: Trump claims he’s ‘flipping races’ with his rally-a-day blitz. It’s not Republicans he’s helping
Tuesday 27 October 2026 17:15 , Brendan RasciusTrump is embarking on what aides are calling an all-out blitz of campaign rally appearances in support of Republican candidates in states across the country, even in places where Republicans would normally be heavily favored.
In the last few weeks, he has visited Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas and Nebraska to stump for Republicans in races that just a year ago were considered safe for the party’s chosen candidates.
Read Andrew Feinberg’s analysis...
Trump claims he’s ‘flipping races’ with rallies. It’s not Republicans he’s helping
Multiple rallies have been interrupted by protestors and hecklers
Tuesday 27 October 2026 16:30 , Brendan RasciusA number of the president’s midterm rallies over the past month have been interrupted by protestors and hecklers.
During an October 12 event in Ohio, a woman stood up wearing a shirt that said: “Release the Epstein Files.” She was subsequently pummeled by MAGA supporters as the president joked about her weight, calling her a “fat guy.”
In Kansas on October 19, Trump was interrupted by several demonstrators — right after he took the stage, as he bragged about winning the red state “three times.”
And in Mississippi on October 26, a heckler shouted at Trump to “shove that ballroom up your fat a**.” Trump paused as the man hurled his insult before snapping: “Oh, go home. Go home. Go home.”
The president has repeatedly suggested that protestors at his rallies are paid agitators.
Trump has some support for an illegal 2028 bid for reelection, poll finds
Tuesday 27 October 2026 15:45 , Brendan RasciusDespite President Donald Trump’s plunging approval ratings it would appear some Americans still back him for an unconstitutional third term in office.
While Trump himself has blown hot and cold on the idea, a new poll indicates there are voters who want the 80- year-old commander-in-chief to run again in 2028.
Eight percent of those surveyed in a New York Times/Siena poll still support Trump’s reelection. Although clearly a minority view, Trump still managed to receive more support than some of his allies.
Owen Scott reports...
Trump has some support for an illegal 2028 bid for reelection, poll finds
At rally, Trump says Michigan Democrat should have to pass through a metal detector
Tuesday 27 October 2026 14:58 , Brendan RasciusTrump's approval rating has plummeted to historic lows, polls show
Tuesday 27 October 2026 14:54 , Brendan RasciusWith the midterms less than two weeks away, multiple polls indicate President Trump’s approval rating has plummeted to historic lows.
A Reuters-Ipsos survey released on October 19 put the president’s approval rating at just 31 percent — the lowest recorded across either of his two terms.
A separate New York Times/Siena College poll released the same week put his approval rating at 34 percent, which the newspaper said was the lowest for a president approaching midterm elections since Harry Truman’s 33 percent in 1946.
Trump, 80, has dismissed these figures as “fake,” while insisting his real approval rating is around 60 percent.
Polls for the broader Republican Party are similarly bleak, indicating the GOP could face severe losses in the upcoming midterm elections as voters express frustration over the cost of living and the Iran war.
Trump set to host back-to-back rallies in Texas
Tuesday 27 October 2026 14:46 , Brendan RasciusPresident Trump is set to hold back-to-back rallies in Texas this afternoon.
The first will be held at 3 p.m. ET in Corpus Christi. The second is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET in Lubbock.
The rallies come as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, is locked in a tight race for the U.S. Senate against Democrat James Talarico.
