President Donald Trump attempted to save Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton Tuesday with a double-header of rallies and a pledge of 'free' oil that his administration was bringing into the United States. 

Paxton, the state's attorney general, is locked in a tight race against Democratic state Representative James Talarico, in what has traditionally been a very red state. 

Most polls this month have shown Paxton trailing, alarming Republicans that the seat is in great danger. 

Trump attended the first rally of the day in the port city of Corpus Christi, where the oil tanker Angerona was docked outside. 

'We have a little breaking news,' he told the audience. 'See that little ship out there? That's got 1 million barrels of oil on it from Venezuela. And we're celebrating the greatest oil victory in history. To the victor belong the spoils, right?'

In January, Trump ordered US forces to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, putting his No. 2, Delcy Rodríguez, in charge. In August, he announced an agreement granting the US a fifth of Venezuela's oil. And on Tuesday, the first shipment had arrived. 

'But the oil on the ships outside is being provided to the United States at zero cost to the American taxpayer. That's not bad,' he added.

Paxton - and many Republicans on the ballot - are facing headwinds due to the high gas prices caused by Trump's war with Iran, with gas hitting an average of $4.27 per gallon nationally, and the slightly lower average of $3.71 in Texas. 

But in Paxton's case, he also had to wave off previous corruption scandals, including a 2023 impeachment, and a high-profile separation from his wife after two alleged affairs.

Still, Trump characterized Paxton as the best attorney general in possibly the country - and the state's history. 

'This guy is considered by many to be the best, but whether he's the best or among the best few ... he's the greatest in the history of Texas,' Trump said. 

The president then pulled out some familiar attack lines against Talarico. 

'He disappeared for 12 to 14 days,' Trump claimed. 'It's actually probably 14 if you really look at it. Missing in action.' 

In late September, Talarico stayed off the campaign trail for what he said was a case of the flu, allowing a conspiracy theory to run rampant that said he was being treated for his mental health at an Ohio hospital.

The Ohio institution publicly came out to say the story was false.

During his appearances in Texas, Trump pushed that something else had occurred.

'Now, I happen to think he was food poisoned by meat because he can't stand it,' Trump claimed.

'You ever see him go to a barbecue and he's trying to show, 'I love the meat, I love it,' and then you see him, where is he? He's behind the tent puking. He's sick as a dog,' the President said. 

Talarico has spoken out publicly about reducing meat consumption, which allowed Paxton to label him a 'vegan' in political attacks. 

At the rally, Trump said it was his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, who taught him how to say 'vegan' properly.

'You know my wife said, 'It's not vay-gan, it's vegan.' I don't know because it's never been my thing. I really do like the meat,' Trump said. 'But she said, 'Oh, please don't say vay-gan. It's vegan.''

'Well, he's been a vegan,' Trump charged. 'And he's never going to love meat and he's never going to love oil and gas and he's never going to love your Second Amendment and he's never going to love your children the way you do. It's a different kind of love.' 

Trump then grumbled, 'It's too close.'