Trump’s first major midterm money move: A $10 million Texas Senate ad blitz

MAGA Inc., the political organization aligned with former President Donald Trump, has allocated $10 million for television and digital advertisements in the Texas Senate race. This is the inaugural substantial expenditure by the group in a major general election contest, indicating that the once-reliable Republican seat in Texas might be within reach for Democrats, thanks to the candidacy of James Talarico, a 37-year-old state representative.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is the Republican candidate in the race, while Trump's endorsement played a pivotal role in his victory over incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the May primary runoff. However, recent public discontent with Trump over economic matters and the Iran conflict poses a challenge for many Republican candidates.

Historically, voters tend to oppose the party in power during midterm elections, and Democrats are aiming to secure control of both the House and the Senate. Texas is a significant symbol of the potential shift in political dynamics this year.

The advertisements are designed to emphasize taxes as a critical issue, as many voters have expressed concerns about persistent inflation. Talarico has advocated for higher taxes on high-income earners, and the ads aim to portray him as seeking broader tax increases, while also asserting that Paxton would offer tax breaks to first-time homebuyers and families with children.

The president's 2017 tax overhaul, which included several of his expiring tax breaks, led to increased budget deficits and higher interest rates due to the national debt.

Trump has also raised tariffs to generate additional revenue. MAGA Inc. spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer asserted in a statement, "High Tax Talarico wants to take money out of Texans' pockets. MAGA Inc. will ensure Texas knows about Talarico's radical policies and elects Ken Paxton to the U.S. Senate." However, Talarico's campaign spokesperson, JT Ennis, contested these claims, stating, "Billionaire-backed dark money groups are lying about James Talarico because they're scared of the people-powered movement we're building to fix this broken, corrupt political system."

Ennis added that Talarico had voted for the largest property tax cut in Texas history and consistently supported tax cuts for working Texans.

MAGA Inc. has at least $400 million in campaign funds that GOP candidates have been eagerly awaiting for deployment. During a press conference on Friday, Trump stated that he would spend "whatever amount of money necessary" to support the effort. He emphasized that these funds were his personal discretion and separate from the Republican National Committee's resources.

Trump also hinted that he could hold onto some of the funds until the 2028 elections, if he so desired. Despite acknowledging Paxton's unappealing appearance and less charismatic television interviews, Trump defended him, calling him the "best attorney general in the country, perhaps." Republicans in competitive states have been eagerly awaiting the president's financial support.

James Blair, who manages the president's midterm political operations, had attempted to dampen concerns and impatience earlier in the week, anticipating widespread relief among Republicans once the support materialized.