‘They’re paid by enemies of our nation’: Trump lashes out at protesters amid Texas rally interruptions

US President Donald Trump was repeatedly interrupted by protesters during a campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas, on Wednesday (October 7) as he sought to rally support for Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton.

Several demonstrators heckled Trump during his remarks at the packed Freeman Coliseum, prompting security personnel and police to remove them from the venue. At least 10 protesters were ejected, with some incidents also involving clashes between demonstrators and rally attendees.

Trump responded angrily to the interruptions, accusing the protesters of being paid by "enemies of our nation".

“Get the hell out of here,” Trump told protesters as the disruptions continued.

At one point, Trump briefly stepped away from the microphone as the uproar in the crowd grew. The interruptions occurred while he was criticizing Paxton’s Democratic opponent, James Talarico, according to The Associated Press.

Trump mocks protesters after ejections

Trump continued to address the demonstrators even as security repeatedly escorted them out.

“He’s going back home to mom,” Trump said of one protester. “But what he doesn’t know is his mom voted for Trump.”

The President also mocked some of those removed from the rally, commenting on their appearance and weight.

“One has got to lose a lot of weight,” Trump said, while describing others as “really bad-looking people.”

Video from inside the venue showed some Trump supporters confronting protesters as they were being removed. In one incident, an attendee appeared to grab another man by the hair.

The repeated disruptions forced Trump to pause or break from his remarks several times before continuing his speech.

Trump doubles down on San Diego, Los Angeles comments

The rally was not focused entirely on the Texas Senate race. Trump also revisited controversial remarks he made earlier in the week about the possibility of Iran targeting US cities.

Trump had previously suggested that Iran could try to “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego, comments that drew criticism from California officials.

At the San Antonio rally, Trump repeated the warning while arguing that the United States would protect the cities.

“And I said it the other day, let them hit a missile into San Diego or Los Angeles on the way,” Trump said.

“You want to see a horror show? Let them hit San Diego. Let them hit Los Angeles,” he added. “We’re not going to let that happen. We protect our cities. We protect our country.”

The White House had defended Trump's earlier remarks, arguing that the cities were safe because the US had prevented Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Trump campaigns for Ken Paxton

Trump's main political objective in San Antonio was to bolster Paxton, who is facing Talarico in a closely watched Senate contest.

Trump described Paxton as “perhaps the greatest attorney general in the United States of America” and praised him for remaining loyal to the president.

“He was tough and he was with us all the way,” Trump said. “He’s a fantastic man.”

Paxton later joined Trump onstage and thanked the president for appearing at the rally.

Trump repeatedly attacked Talarico, including over the death penalty, an issue with particular resonance in Texas, which leads the US in executions.

Trump reiterated his support for the death penalty for “large scale drug dealers, human traffickers and anyone who kills a police officer.”

He also referred to the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting. Trump said Hasan would be executed by firing squad after he approved that method earlier this week.

Texas becomes a key battleground for Republicans

The rally came as Republicans devote increasing resources to Texas ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

Texas has long been one of the country's most reliably Republican states, with Trump winning it by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024. But Republicans are facing a more challenging political environment this year amid Trump's low approval ratings, the Iran war and rising fuel prices.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday put Trump's approval rating at 32%, matching the lowest level recorded in the poll.

Wednesday's appearance was Trump's third trip to Texas in less than a month to campaign for Paxton. Republican officials have it more than $300 million to elections in the state.

The President's political standing was also underscored by the absence of Republican Governor Greg Abbott from the rally. Abbott, who won reelection in 2022 by about 11 percentage points, is himself facing a competitive reelection contest against Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa.

Trump also used the rally to announce that retired baseball pitcher Roger Clemens would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honour.

Trump called the award “a step up” from Clemens' failure to gain entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame.