Rubio Joins Trump on Texas Campaign Trail as Midterms Near

Rubio Joins Trump on Texas Campaign Trail as Midterms Near

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a rare appearance on the campaign trail on Tuesday, joining President Donald Trump at a rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, just a week before the 3 November midterm elections. Trump called Rubio to the stage as the crowd chanted his name, telling the audience: "He's so popular," and adding, "We love Marco." The stop was aimed at boosting Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton in a race that polls suggest has become unexpectedly tight against Democrat James Talarico.

The visit also had an energy message at its centre. Trump and Rubio toured an oil tanker carrying one million barrels of Venezuelan crude, which the administration says will be processed at Texas refineries. With about seven in ten Americans saying petrol is unaffordable, according to ABC News, the White House is using the shipment to argue that its deal with Venezuela's new US-backed government can help ease costs for households, even as the war in Iran keeps global oil prices high.

Rubio's presence was unusual because America's top diplomat normally stays away from domestic campaigning. A State Department official said he travelled with Trump in his separate capacity as national security adviser — Rubio is the first person to hold both jobs since Henry Kissinger — so he could brief the president while on the road. The appearance is also likely to fuel talk about 2028, with Rubio and Vice President JD Vance widely seen as leading contenders to carry the Republican Party into its post-Trump era. Trump later headed to a second rally in Lubbock the same evening.

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