President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social calling on Democratic nominee James Talarico to debate Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas U.S. Senate race. Talarico responded he would debate Paxton. Paxton has declined multiple debate invitations and has not publicly responded to Trump's call.
Where
Statewide
When
Oct. 8, 2026
Sources
Reported by 7 outlets
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
Donald TrumpPresident
James TalaricoDemocratic nominee for Texas U.S. Senate
Ken PaxtonRepublican Senate candidate; Texas Attorney General
Nick MadduxPaxton campaign adviser
J.T. EnnisTalarico campaign spokesperson
Madison CercyPaxton campaign spokeswoman
The facts
Trump posted on Truth Social calling Talarico to debate Paxton, calling Paxton ready, willing and able.12Stated by 2 sources
Talarico has been absent from campaign trail since Sept. 30; his campaign said he had the flu.23Stated by 2 sources
Talarico responded he would debate Paxton and said the ball was in Paxton's court.23Stated by 2 sources
Paxton declined to meet opponents in his last three campaigns for attorney general.1
Paxton's campaign said in July he would debate but objected to some proposed moderators.3
Candidates' campaigns and outside groups spent more than $247 million on advertising so far.3
Talarico has publicly invited Paxton to debate on Fox News with host Bret Baier as moderator.23Stated by 2 sources
Talarico's campaign said he expects to return to the campaign trail this weekend.2
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Nick Maddux, Paxton campaign adviser They will not negotiate through Talarico's press shop or let him hand-pick a moderator.1
James Talarico I'll go into the lion's den because I know what I believe. I'm not afraid of hard questions.1
James Talarico Texans deserve to hear from both of us before they start voting in less than a month.3
Madison Cercy, Paxton campaign spokeswoman Paxton has a simple request: proof of life from Talarico.3
Some Republicans They worry Paxton may become first Republican in nearly four decades to lose a Senate race in Texas.3
Where the sources disagree
Duration of Talarico's campaign absence 12 days per [2]; absent since Sept. 30 per [2, 3]
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
Trump Does Not Care That Ken Paxton Is Too Afraid To Debate
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
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