SAN ANTONIO – President Donald Trump visited San Antonio Wednesday to rally support for the Republican ticket at a key campaign event.
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Trump appeared at the Freeman Coliseum on the East Side, with doors opening to ticket holders at 2:30 p.m.
According to the Republican National Committee, the president was expected to land at Kelly Airfield at 3 p.m. Motorists near the West Side were advised to expect traffic delays until his motorcade passed through, while flight restrictions were also in place.
Rally programming began at 4:30 p.m., and Trump delivered remarks to supporters at 6 p.m.
Speaking to a packed Freeman Coliseum, Trump also clarified recent comments in which he appeared to suggest the bombing of an American city would be “a small price to pay” for the war in Iran. He said Wednesday that Iran might try to hit an American city with a missile.
“You want to see problems? Let them hit San Diego, let them in Los Angeles,” Trump said. “We’re not going to let that happen. We protect our cities. We protect our country.”
The president’s message was interrupted repeatedly by protesters, including by one who appeared to be close to the stage. In all, at least a dozen demonstrators interrupted the president. Some were led away by police.
Our own Taylor Whartnaby gave a one-on-one interview with President Trump.
RELATED: Trump to visit San Antonio next week for rally with Paxton, De La Cruz
We’ve been following the lead-up to this event, which is part of Trump’s push to increase Republican turnout in what is considered a very important political battleground state.
The rally marked Trump’s third visit to Texas in less than a month. The visit comes during a competitive midterm cycle, after Trump won Texas by 14 points in his last election.
The Republican Party did not plan to devote so much money and manpower to Texas this midterm season.
Texas is the nation’s most populous reliably Republican state, where Trump won in 2024 by almost 14 percentage points. But with Election Day less than a month away, Trump’s poor approval ratings, the Iran war and soaring gas prices have threatened Republicans in virtually every state.
The event also featured Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and congressional candidate Carlos De La Cruz, who was running in the newly formed 35th District anchored in Bexar County. De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran and brother of Rep. Monica De La Cruz, faced Democrat Johnny Garcia.
Both major parties spent large sums of money to sway voters in the cycle, including nearly $175 million in outside advertising to help Republicans preserve control of a Senate seat. Polls showed close races in the state, contributing to Trump and other national figures prioritizing Texas during the campaign season.
Paxton had recently addressed concerns about his polling numbers following a GOP convention in Dallas but continued to join Trump at campaign stops, including a recent joint appearance in Denton. De La Cruz also maintained strong ties with Trump during his campaign, dismissing speculation that he should distance himself from the president.
Trump spent most of his remarks focused on the Texas Senate contest, describing Paxton as “perhaps the greatest attorney general in the United States of America.”
“He was tough and he was with us all the way,” Trump said of Paxton. “He’s a fantastic man.”
San Antonio stands at the center of Texas’ most competitive U.S. House races, with major attention focused on the 23rd and 35th congressional districts. In both districts, the majority of eligible voters are Hispanic.
Trump’s team has invested millions in these races through political action committees, underscoring the importance both parties are placing on voter turnout in November.
Trump lost Bexar County in each of his three previous elections, but saw his best performance in 2024 by securing 44.5 percent of the vote.
Associated Press contributed to this article.
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