President Donald Trump showcased what he described as a ship carrying 1 million barrels of Venezuelan oil during a campaign visit to Corpus Christi, Texas on Tuesday, calling it a product of a "recent war with Venezuela." It was not immediately clear under what terms the oil had been shipped or whether Trump's account was accurate. The US had received crude shipments from Venezuela before the abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on January 3, with transfers increasing this year, according to the report.
Trump called the cargo a "gift" from Venezuela and referred to it as "the greatest oil victory in history." Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez has not commented on the specific shipment. Trump also floated making Venezuela the "51st state" at the rally.
The visit comes as Trump seeks to boost Republican prospects in a tight Senate race. Trump endorsed Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican primary over incumbent Senator John Cornyn. Paxton now faces Democrat James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian. A RealClearPolitics average of polls showed Talarico leading Paxton by 1.7 points. A Talarico victory would be the first statewide Democratic win in Texas since 1994.
Talarico has focused on corruption allegations against Paxton. Paxton has portrayed Talarico as too "radical" for Texas. Trump and Vice President JD Vance have centered on cultural issues, distorting Talarico's past comments on transgender rights and border security.
Trump stressed high fossil fuel prices tied to the US-Israel war with Iran as a midterm election issue for voters.