Trump has midnight meltdown over possible loss in red state: 'Bad rumors are coming out'

Donald Trump went after Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico late Wednesday night. He claimed, without evidence, that the state representative had gone "MISSING IN ACTION."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, upon information and belief, James TalaFREAKo, who is running for the United States Senate in Texas, is MISSING IN ACTION!" Trump wrote on Truth Social at 11:22 p.m. Eastern. "No one has seen him for an extended period of time. Where is he? What is wrong with him? Bad rumors are coming out."

Trump didn't say what the rumors were or where they came from.

He then demanded that Talarico "immediately report to a Debate Stage" against Republican nominee Ken Paxton. Trump called Paxton "ready, willing, and able, one of the best Attorney Generals in the Country," and said he "will soon be, hopefully, a United States Senator representing the Great People of Texas!"

The "hopefully" is notable. Texas hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate in more than three decades, but polling suggests it is possible this time around.

The post landed the same day Axios published leaked audio of Paxton privately lamenting the Iran war and gas prices to donors and lobbyists. "I don't make the decisions," Paxton said in the September meeting, according to the outlet. Axios called it "a candid admission from a close Trump ally about the challenging environment Republicans face this cycle."

Trump signed off the post the way he often does: "Thank you for your attention to this matter."