Ken Paxton Mocks And Attacks Trump

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton reportedly acknowledged in a private conversation that Republican candidates saw their numbers decline following the party’s recent midterm convention in Dallas.

The Republican Senate candidate made the remarks during a private fundraiser in Washington last Thursday, according to an audio recording obtained by The New York Times.

During the gathering, someone asked Paxton whether “he” was becoming a liability. The recording does not make clear who the question was about.

Paxton responded by pointing to the convention and its aftermath.

He said the event was followed by a decline in the numbers for Republican candidates, adding that the situation was currently “not good.”

The Times reported that three people separately confirmed Paxton attended the fundraiser. Two said they remembered him being asked the question, while another recalled Paxton responding negatively. The person who made the recording is opposed to Paxton’s Senate campaign.

The comments come at a politically important moment for both Paxton and Trump. Trump has publicly backed Paxton in the Republican Senate primary against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, making the race an important test of Trump’s influence within the Texas GOP.

The Dallas convention was designed in part to rally Republican voters ahead of the midterms. However, polling conducted around the event has pointed to movement toward Democrats in the congressional race.

RealClearPolling’s average of generic congressional ballot surveys showed Democratic support increasing following the convention, while Republican support remained comparatively steady.

Paxton is also facing a substantial fundraising gap against Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Federal campaign filings for the latest quarter showed Talarico raising approximately $31.6 million, compared with roughly $9.3 million for Paxton.

Trump has repeatedly expressed support for Paxton’s campaign, although his political operation did not immediately commit a large portion of its available funds to the race. A Houston fundraiser promoted as an important boost for Paxton instead directed money toward the Republican National Convention, according to reporting cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC later contributed $10 million toward advertising supporting Paxton.

The leaked recording adds another complication to a Senate race already drawing national attention. Paxton must now navigate the fundraising disparity, the broader political environment heading into the midterms, and questions about how much Trump’s backing can translate into support at the ballot box.