Trump stops Texas rally speech to ridicule protesters: ‘They are bad-looking people’

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: President Donald Trump repeatedly stopped his campaign rally speech on Wednesday, October 7, as protesters were escorted out of the packed Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas. The president mocked one demonstrator’s weight, commented on another group’s appearance, and accused protesters of being paid to disrupt his event.

The interruptions drew boos and chants of “USA” from Trump’s supporters as security removed protesters from the venue.

Trump faces repeated interruptions at Texas rally

Trump was speaking to the crowd when the first interruption forced him to pause and watch as a protester was removed.

"Is there anything like a Trump rally? Is there anything? I don’t think so," he told the crowd.

As the protester was taken out, Trump mocked him, saying, "Now he’s going back home to mom right now," before adding, "Because what he doesn’t know is that his mom voted for Trump."

The president continued his remarks and also took aim at Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who is currently leading GOP nominee Ken Paxton in polls.

Trump spoke about Talarico for several minutes before introducing an “Angel Mom,” Marie Vega, whose son was killed in 2014 in a crime committed by an undocumented immigrant.

She also appeared to be interrupted by another protester.

Trump comments on protesters’ appearance

The disruptions continued throughout the rally.

At one point, Trump briefly stepped away from the podium and turned toward people behind him as the crowd reacted to another disturbance.

When another protester was escorted out, Trump focused on the person’s appearance.

“That guy’s got to lose a lot of weight. Wow,” Trump said.

He again accused protesters of being paid to interfere with his rally.

“You know, many of these protesters are paid. You know that, right?” Trump told the crowd.

When another person was removed from the Freeman Coliseum, Trump made another comment about the protesters’ appearance.

“You know I never talk about the looks of a person,” he said. “But those are really bad-looking people you have to see. They are bad-looking people.”

Trump then issued a direct message to anyone else planning to interrupt his speech.

“If there are any more paid protesters, please raise your hand and get the hell out of here!” he said.

Trump turns to Ken Paxton and James Talarico race

Away from the protest interruptions, Trump continued to attack Democratic Senate candidate Talarico as the Texas Senate race enters its final stretch. Urging the crowd to vote for Paxton, Trump said, "We're going to crush him [Talarico] at the ballot box. We're going to send Ken Paxton, who's, remember, he is perhaps the greatest attorney general in the United States of America."

Paxton’s campaign has also faced attention over personal issues, including his ongoing divorce and his alleged relationship with Tracy Duhon, which the Daily Mail has previously reported. 

More pressure came from an audio recording that surfaced hours before Trump’s San Antonio rally. In a September 24 event in Washington, DC, Paxton was asked what he believed was dragging down his campaign.

“It’s not tariffs.... It’s the war, it’s gas prices, it’s diesel,” Paxton reportedly said.

He also addressed the impact of high fuel prices, saying, “When it’s over $6 per gallon for diesel... people are feeling the pinch.”

Paxton added that rising fuel costs drive up “food prices and everything else.” He also acknowledged that he cannot stop the war and has “no control over gas prices.”

This was the third audio recording leaked from the same event.

Trump announces checks for millions of seniors

Trump also made an announcement aimed at seniors during Wednesday's Texas rally.

He said more than 20 million seniors on Medicare would receive checks or deposits worth more than $100 each.

“Over 20 million seniors on Medicare will receive checks or deposits for over $100 each, including over 1.4 million seniors here ... in Texas,” the POTUS told the crowd.

The announcement came with less than a month remaining before Election Day, as the Texas Senate race continues to draw attention.