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After Loudly Backing a Texas Republican, Trump Shrugs Off Loss: “I’m Not Involved”

By
Shadrack
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President Donald Trump is either lying or demented, because after weeks of urging people to vote for Leigh Wambsganss, he told reporters, “I’m not involved in that, that’s a local Texas race.”


The remark came after Democrat Taylor Rehmet flipped the state Senate seat in a Fort Worth area district Mr. Trump had won by 17 points in 2024. Rehmet, a union leader and veteran, topped Wambsganss by a clear margin on Saturday.

Just days before, Mr. Trump used his Truth Social account to push voters toward the Republican, writing in all caps, “GET OUT AND VOTE for a phenomenal Candidate, Leigh Wambsganss.” That post was not a casual mention. It was a direct call to action.
The back to back of a loud cheer followed by a quick denial left the usual crowd on social media doing the thing they do best. People mocked the new move from cheerleader to bystander. The switch did not play well on camera or online.

Rehmet ran a plain campaign about pay, schools and rising costs. Voters in Tarrant County answered those local appeals even as national names tried to steer the day. The result undercut the idea that a presidential push can simply bend local races to a national will.

The spending numbers made the result stranger for Republicans. Wambsganss and allied groups outspent Rehmet by roughly ten to one, yet still lost. Money matters, but it was not enough this time.

Critics did not mince words. Princeton historian Kevin Kruse put the choice bluntly: “He’s lying or demented or both.” That line captured the mood on feeds where people had already been sharing the Truth Social posts.

Joe Walsh, the former Republican congressman turned critic, went further and blamed Mr. Trump for the defeat and for a broader tone he said turned voters off. “He’s such a horrible person,” Walsh wrote. “And such a dishonest person. Yes, he was involved in that race, and she lost 100% because of him.”

Republican leaders offered a roster of reasons for the loss. Turnout was low. Weather was blamed. Local factors mattered. Those points are familiar after any bad night for one party or the other. Still, a flip in a district that backed Mr. Trump by 17 points is the kind of result that triggers real worry in campaign war rooms.

Democrats celebrated and framed the win as momentum. Party officials said it showed their message on everyday costs and schools can cut through even in conservative territory.

There is a little theater to the whole episode. The president used his platform to urge votes, then acted surprised when the vote did not follow his script. It makes for a neat line in political memo books and for a lot of late night copy. Voters, not the script, wrote the punchline.

Taylor Rehmet will take the seat and will likely face Wambsganss again in November. Campaigns will replay the same footage and the same posts. Republicans will try to turn this into a warning and a rallying cry. Democrats will call it proof the map can move.

The internet smelled the lie instantly.

Featured image via X screengrab

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