A GOP loss in Texas would be a major blow for the US president and the Republicans Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. Donald Trump has accused fellow Republicans of “doing everything possible to make it hard” for Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee in the Texas Senate race. Katie Zacharia, the White House’s new press secretary, has stated that it is “unknown” how much she will engage with the press or hold briefings with reporters, as questions about her legal credentials continue to be asked following revelations that she failed to pass failed the California bar exam after graduating from law school. Donald Trump has labeled a series of Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries as a “disgrace” while describing the the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “more difficul