Trump Lubbock Rally Live: Air Force One Lands as Burrows Warns 45,000 Lubbock County Republicans Have Not Voted Yet

LUBBOCK - Air Force One landed in Lubbock at about 5:42 p.m. on Tuesday and President Donald Trump's motorcade set out for the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, where he was scheduled to speak at 6 p.m. in support of Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported in its live coverage, citing KAMC. Hundreds of cars had lined up around the civic center hours before the rally, and some supporters arrived up to 12 hours early, waiting in lawn chairs. The visit is the first by a sitting president to Lubbock since George H.W. Bush in 1992, and the Lubbock City Council canceled its own meeting on Tuesday for an anticipated lack of a quorum.

The pre-speech program was part pep rally, part turnout alarm. Texas Tech University System Chancellor Brandon Creighton called on Republicans to "Wreck Expectations" this election cycle, USA Today reported, and the crowd broke into the Red Raiders' signature "Raider! Power!" chant. Cody Campbell, the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents chairman and oil and gas executive, praised the region: "If America was more like West Texas, it would be a better place." Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, back in his home district, told the audience he was happy to be back in "God's country" - then delivered the evening's number: more than 45,000 Republican voters in Lubbock County alone had not voted early as of Tuesday. "If we do not vote, they get to decide for us. Do we want that to happen?" Burrows said, warning that Austin liberals would control the election if Republican voters stayed home.

Outside, several dozen protesters and counter-protesters gathered near the Tornado Memorial, the designated protest location. Among them was Jose Cazares, who said he led the Brown Berets advocacy group and was inspired to participate by his niece, one of the 19 children who died in the Uvalde school shooting. "People are tired of seeing, you know, bad people get away with all kinds of other stuff, right?" he said. "So, we're here to make sure that we educate our people, let them know, 'Hey, your vote does count. But if you don't vote, then you have no power. You have nothing.'"

Less than three miles away, Democratic nominee James Talarico was set to hold his own rally at the Fiesta Center in East Lubbock at 7 p.m. - the split-screen finish to the day both campaigns chose for West Texas, a week before the November 3 election that will help decide control of the Senate. Space City Daily will file on President Trump's Lubbock remarks, and on Talarico's, tonight on the verified record.