Top MAGA lawmaker shuns Trump’s Texas rally: ‘Nobody wants that photo op now’

By Tom Wrobleski | wrobleski@siadvance.comA top GOP lawmaker and MAGA supporter will be missing when President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in San Antonio on Wednesday: Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott. Newsweek reports that Abbott, who is running for re-election, will be absent as Trump tries to rally Republicans in the Lone Star State’s toss-up Senate battle. Ben Wermund of The Houston Chronicle wrote on X that Abbott will be absent due to other planned campaign events. Wermund quoted Abbott saying about Trump, “Whenever he does show up, it leads to excitement with the base. He does a good job with getting the base organized and turning out.”.@GregAbbott_TX says he will not be at Trump event in San Antonio this week because he has other campaign events already planned. On Trump in TX: "Whenever he does show up, it leads to excitement with the base. He does a good job with getting the base organized and turning out."— Ben Wermund (@benwermund) October 5, 2026 But critics weren’t buying the explanation. “Even Greg Abbott won’t be seen with Trump,” Pod Save America co-host Dan Pfeiffer wrote on X. Wrote another critic: “Smart move tbh, nobody wants that photo op now.”The Texas battle pits Democratic state Rep. James Talarico against GOP state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is backed by Trump. Republicans are trying to stave off defeat in the usually red state, where the polls show that the Senate race is neck and neck. Republicans are facing strong headwinds as the president’s plummeting popularity has put a number of seats in red states in play for the Democrats in the midterm elections. The GOP is looking to retain its slim majorities in the House and the Senate in this year’s races. Polls also show a close race between Abbott and Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa.Lloyd Bentsen was the last Democrat elected to the US Senate from Texas, serving from 1971 to 1993.Ann Richards, who served from 1991 to 1995, was the last Democrat elected as governor of Texas. A 1987 graduate of Fordham University's College at Lincoln Center, Tom began working at the Staten Island Advance in 1995. The native Staten Islander started his career at the Advance as a community board...