SIZE MATTERS

Must-Win MAGA Candidate Humiliated by Tiny Crowd Size

Ken Paxton struggled to lift a crowd of dozens as his opponent rallied at a venue that holds thousands.

President Donald Trump’s handpicked Senate candidate has struggled to fill a bar in Texas as he limps towards Tuesday’s midterm elections.

Scandal-ridden Attorney General Ken Paxton is vying to become a senator for the Lone Star State, facing popular Democratic upstart James Talarico.

In a bid to stave off an upset, Paxton is on a bus tour across smaller venues in Texas. Last week, his “Come and Take It Tour” descended into hilarity as only a few dozen people came to see him rhyme off MAGA talking points at the Arc Light Bar & Grill in San Angelo.

FORGOT THE ALAMO

MAGA Senate Hopeful Scraps Grand Finale After Small Crowds

Annabella Rosciglione

Sunday wasn’t much different. After a stop in Tyler, Smith County, Paxton took his campaign bus to the Angry Elephant on the edge of San Antonio.

There, he was met by a tepid, aging crowd, according to footage from the event. “TENS -- literally a HANDFUL -- of people go wild for Ken Paxton! 🔥” wrote independent journalist Aaron Rupar online, sharing a clip of Paxton’s lukewarm entrance.

“My daughter’s quinceañera had a bigger turnout than this mess lol,” one person replied. Another said, “A handful of people in the room and 43 percent in the Siena poll. The crowd matches the numbers.”

In the video, Paxton walks out to muted applause and disparate whoops as “God Blessed Texas” by Little Texas plays. “I think this is becoming my favorite place,” he says, seemingly trying to whip up the crowd.

The Angry Elephant is a politically themed bar and grill with seven locations in Texas.

When Paxton spoke at the same roadhouse in August, he drew roughly 200 people, according to news coverage from the time. This time, though, estimates placed the crowd at half that size.

One attendee said the crowd was “dismal.”

Talarico also campaigned in San Antonio on Sunday. He took his roadshow downtown to the much larger Espee, a boutique amphitheater with a capacity of over 3,000.

The crowd was much more energetic and younger, too. Talarico highlighted his ties to the city, telling the crowd, “It’s so good to be back in this city where I taught sixth grade language arts at Rhodes Middle School; this city has taught me how to lead.”

It comes as Paxton’s campaign canceled a splashy final campaign event just days ahead of Election Day. Paxton was supposed to end his “Come and Take It” bus tour at The Alamo on Monday. But those plans have been upended as his campaign added stops in Conroe and Allen, suburban towns in the Houston and Dallas areas, respectively, hundreds of miles from the famous battleground.

“No one’s going to Ken Paxton’s rallies, so he’s canceling them and hoping Elon Musk will buy this seat for him,” Talarico said in a statement Friday, pointing to the $200 million the world’s richest man has put into the race for Paxton.

“Texas deserves a Senator that shows up — not one that hides behind a pile of money.”

Polling shows Talarico leading with 49 percent, and Paxton trailing at 43 percent.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Leigh KimminsReporter

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.