When Democratic nominee James Talarico stopped holding campaign events in the Texas Senate race, his Republican opponent Ken Paxton saw an opening to pounce.

“Where is James Talarico?” he called out Wednesday during a rally with Donald Trump in San Antonio.

But that night, while flying back to Washington on Air Force One, Trump seemed to inadvertently throw Talarico a lifeline. The president said on social media that Talarico — who has the flu, according to his campaign — “should immediately report to a Debate Stage” to face off with Paxton.

It was exactly what Talarico wanted to hear, since he had long been badgering Paxton for a debate.