On Thursday, the broadcast network morning shows continued to push the idea of Republican losses in the midterms, continuing to focus on the Texas Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. In addition to the Texas Senate doom, ABC continued to mention “fierce backlash from Democrats” over Trump’s misconstrued rally comments in Nebraska, while NBC feared more possible military actions against Iran before the midterms and portrayed Republicans as “defecting” from Trump.
ABC’s Good Morning America report on Trump focused almost exclusively on Trump’s Wednesday night rally in San Antonio, Texas, and, once again, focused on the Senate race and Paxton controversies.
Michael Strahan introduced the story and noted it was Trump’s “third trip in a month to Texas, where the Republican Senate candidate is in a tough race with 26 days until the final votes.”
Thursday’s Good Morning America once again mentioned the idea that Trump said Iran bombing LA and San Diego would be a “small price to pay,” now noting that he seemed to be talking about gas prices, while continuing to predict doom for Republicans in the Texas Senate race.… pic.twitter.com/VKcNRiBSKb
— Nick (@nspin310) October 8, 2026
Correspondent Rachel Scott began her report, focusing on the time spent by Trump in Texas:
In the final stretch here, President Trump is spending a whole lot of time in Texas, a state that he won by double digits, as Republican Ken Paxton is placing the blame on the fallout from the war in Iran on a race that is only getting tighter.
She then played leaked audio given to Axios of Paxton calling the Iran War and gas prices as the his “biggest problem” in his campaign.
Later, Scott mentioned the removal of protesters at the rally, while echoing her Tuesday report on “fierce backlash” to Trump comments at a Nebraska rally, which were falsely construed as Trump wanting Iran to “take out” and bomb Los Angeles and San Diego, which was even denied by CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale.
Nevertheless, she continued to push the story and said, “Once again repeating this line that prompted fierce backlash from Democrats.”
In the new rally clip from Wednesday, Trump said, “Let them hit Los Angeles, and you want to see some bad things happen. You want to see a country that would be in freefall. We're not going to let that happen. We protect our cities. We protect our country. We're not letting that happen.”
In response, Scott still said, “Yeah, Democrats still criticizing those comments this morning.”
NBC’s ‘Today’ put a lot of content into one Trump and midterm-focused story on Thursday, with Gabe Gutierrez describing Trump as “defending his candidates and potentially his legacy with Democrats gaining ground.”
Gutteriez’s report on GOP election doom went from Republican… pic.twitter.com/2xxLGsg0M4— Nick (@nspin310) October 8, 2026
Furthermore, NBC’s Today also featured reporting on the Texas Senate race and the Wednesday rally, with more expansion to talk about more possible Republican strikes before the midterms and Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers calling for an end to the tariff battle with Canada.
Fill-in host Willie Giest, also a frequent co-host on MS NOW’s Morning Joe, created the initial framing for the month left of midterm campaigning, and said, “With less than four weeks to go, more Republican candidates and incumbents breaking with President Trump on some key issues.”
White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez added on: “In another whirlwind trip to Texas, President Trump continued to defend his candidates and potentially his legacy, with Democrats gaining ground.”
After noting the removal of many protesters at the rally, who Turmp called “paid protesters,” NBC also played the leaked audio of Paxton, which Gutierrez described as, “Paxton says the Iran war is dragging him down.”
Gutierrez sequenced Paxton’s leaked comments into fears of the possibility of more strikes on Iran in coming weeks, as he said, “But according to a U.S. Official and another person with knowledge of the discussions, Trump and his national security team have discussed possibly resuming large-scale military operations in Iran in the coming weeks, including the option of launching strikes before the midterms.”
To close the long Trump-related report, Gutierrez played a new ad from Republican Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers that called for an end of the tariff war with Canada.
He then connected to the idea of “GOP defections” from Trump: “The president downplaying GOP defections, posting overnight: Vote for Mike Rogers - He was my complete and total endorsement.”
Thursday’s 'CBS Mornings' turned to the Iowa Senate race to portray issues in the state for Republicans, after noting Trump's Texas rally protestor interruptions.
Ed O’Keefe interviewed both candidates, Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek, and described more… pic.twitter.com/fGdZK04l4C— Nick (@nspin310) October 8, 2026
CBS Mornings focused briefly on the Trump rally in Texas, solely on the removal of protesters and Trump’s remarks during their removal, playing where Trump said, “He's gone back home to mom right now," before moving to cover the Iowa Senate race instead.
The transcripts are below. Click "expand":
ABC’s Good Morning America
October 8, 2026
7:15:08 AM Eastern
MICHAEL STRAHAN: I'm going to go now to President Trump on the campaign trail, making his third trip in a month to Texas, where the Republican Senate candidate is in a tough race with 26 days until the final votes.
Senior political correspondent Rachel Scott has the latest. Good morning, Rachel.
RACHEL SCOTT: Michael, good morning to you. Yes. In the final stretch here, President Trump is spending a whole lot of time in Texas, a state that he won by double digits as Republican Ken Paxton is placing the blame on the fallout from the war in Iran in a race that is only getting tighter.
[Cuts to video
President Trump, back on the campaign trail in Texas for the second time in one week.
TRUMP: You need to go and vote for Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate.
SCOTT: Appearing on stage with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, just after Paxton was heard in newly obtained audio complaining that soaring fuel prices brought on by the war in Iran is the biggest problem for his campaign.
AXIOS AUDIO OF KEN PAXTON: The war, it’s gas prices, it’s diesel. When i’ts over $6 a gallon for diesel, I mean, it’s putting money — we have a lot of trucks that are diesel - who are feeling he pinch. So, I’d say that’s probably the biggest problem
SCOTT: In the final stretch, a tight race for Senate. Paxton suddenly trailing behind Democrat James Talarico in a state Trump won.
The president, who was interrupted by protesters several times during his remarks, has told voters rising gas prices are a small price to pay to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon. Once again repeating this line that prompted fierce backlash from Democrats.
TRUMP: You want to see a horror show, you want to see problems, let them hit San Diego. Let them hit Los Angeles, and you want to see some bad things happen. You want to see a country that would be in freefall. We're not going to let that happen. We protect our cities. We protect our country. We're not letting that happen.
SCOTT: Yeah, Democrats still criticizing those comments this morning.
A Democrat has not won the state of Texas and any statewide race in about 30 years. So this much tighter than many Republicans were hoping for, guys?
ROBIN ROBERTS: That is the case. All right, Rachel, our thanks to you as always.
(...)
NBC’s Today
October 8, 2026
7:06:58 AM Eastern
WILLIE GEIST: For now thought, let's turn to the midterm elections with less than four weeks to go, more Republican candidates and incumbents breaking with President Trump on some key issues. NBC's senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez has the latest. Gabe, good morning.
GABE GUTIERREZ: Willie, good morning. In another whirlwind trip to Texas, President Trump continued to defend his candidates and potentially his legacy, with Democrats gaining ground.
And now we are also learning the president and his national security team have been discussing possibly launching new strikes in the Iran war before the midterms.
[Cuts to report]
The battle for control of congress taking center stage in Texas.
TRUMP: You know, in a way we are on the ballot, let's face it, because they are going to destroy everything we have done. So, please pretend I am on the ballot.
GUTIERREZ: Overnight, President Trump making his third visit to the Lone Star State in a month, repeatedly interrupted by protests.
TRUMP: That guy’s got to lose a lot of weight!
GUTIERREZ: At least 17 people removed from a rally in San Antonio as Texas' Senate and gubernatorial races grow more contentious.
Ken Paxton, in a tight race against James Talarico, is publicly sticking by the president.
TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON (R-TX CANDIDATE FOR SENATE): Mr. President, thank you for coming for me, for coming for us, and coming for Texas.
GUTIERREZ: But in a recorded conversation with donors obtained by Axios, Paxton says the Iran war is dragging him down.
PAXTON: The war, it’s gas prices, it’s diesel… That pushes food prices and everything else.
GUTIERREZ: But according to a U.S. Official and another person with knowledge of the discussions, Trump and his national security team have discussed possibly resuming large-scale military operations in Iran in the coming weeks, including the option of launching strikes before the midterms. The sources say no decisions have been made. The president saying this yesterday.
TRUMP: Their military is now wiped out. Their whole country right now is wiped out. It’ll be over very quickly.
GUTIERREZ: In other closely watched races, Republican candidates are also distancing themselves from some of the president's policies. In Michigan, a reversal from Senate candidate Mike Rogers, who previously said he supported Trump's tariffs.
MIKE ROGERS AD: In Michigan, we know that Canada is not our enemy. We need to end this tariff war.
GUTIERREZ: The president downplaying GOP defections, posting overnight: “Vote for Mike Rogers - He was my complete and total endorsement.
[Cuts back to live]
The president's midterm blitz is expected to ramp up next week. He is also planning trips to upstate New York this Friday and Tennessee and Alabama Saturday, though that visit could be impacted by the hurricane, Willie.
(...)
