Leaked Audio Reveals Ken Paxton Admits Trump Convention Hurt GOP Candidates
Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton was recorded in two leaked audios: one admitting President Trump's Dallas convention hurt Republican candidates, and another stating he lacks control over his campaign, blaming national issues. Paxton trails Democrat James Talarico by six points and has raised $9.3 million versus Talarico's $31.6 million.
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Ken Paxton privately blames campaign struggles on Iran war and gas prices in leaked audio
According to multiple news outlets including Axios, Politico, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, and Rolling Stone, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in a leaked audio recording, privately attributed his floundering campaign's woes to the Iran war under former President Donald Trump and rising US gas prices. Paxton reportedly stated that the campaign's difficulties are 'all coming from DC,' suggesting that national issues are plaguing Republican candidates. The leaked audio has been characterized as an embarrassing development for Paxton, a MAGA-aligned candidate, as he makes excuses for his campaign's performance. The reports indicate that Paxton's private comments contrast with his public messaging and highlight internal concerns about the impact of Trump-era policies and economic conditions on the election.
Read sourceKen Paxton Admits Team Trump Controls His Campaign in Leaked Audio Recording
In a leaked audio recording from a September fundraiser, Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton admitted he is not in control of his own campaign, stating that the message and issues are dictated from Washington, D.C. The audio, shared with Politico and published on October 5, 2026, was leaked by an opponent and confirmed by another attendee. Paxton's campaign adviser, Nick Maddux, claimed the candidate was referring to the lack of coordination between campaigns and super PACs, not specifically Donald Trump's team. The leak follows a previous audio where Paxton criticized Trump. Paxton is struggling financially, having raised only $9.3 million compared to Democratic opponent James Talarico's $31.6 million, and trails Talarico by six points in a recent New York Times/Siena poll. Trump has pledged support but has not committed funds from his $400 million MAGA Inc. war chest to Paxton's campaign.
Ken Paxton Admits Team Trump Controls His Campaign in Leaked Audio Recording
A leaked audio recording from a September fundraiser reveals Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton lamenting that he is not in control of his own campaign, stating that the message and issues are dictated from Washington, D.C. The audio, shared with Politico and published on October 5, 2026, was leaked by an opponent and confirmed by another attendee. Paxton's campaign adviser, Nick Maddux, claimed the candidate was referring to the inability to coordinate with super PACs. The report notes that former President Donald Trump has pledged support but has not committed funds from his $400 million MAGA Inc. war chest to Paxton's campaign, and a Trump-hosted fundraiser in Houston directed money to the Republican National Convention instead. Paxton is significantly trailing Democratic candidate James Talarico in fundraising, with $9.3 million raised versus Talarico's $31.6 million, and is six points behind in a New York Times/Siena poll. This is the second leaked audio incident involving Paxton, following a previous recording where he criticized Trump's midterm convention.
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Ken Paxton Admits Team Trump Controls His Campaign in Leaked Audio Recording
In a leaked audio recording obtained by Politico and published on October 5, 2026, Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton admitted he is not in control of his own campaign, stating that the message and issues are dictated from Washington, D.C. The audio, leaked by an opponent and confirmed by another attendee, reveals Paxton's frustration with his flailing campaign. His campaign adviser, Nick Maddux, claimed Paxton was referring to the lack of coordination with super PACs, not specifically Donald Trump's team. The leak follows a previous audio where Paxton criticized Trump. Paxton trails Democratic candidate James Talarico by six points in a New York Times/Siena poll and has raised only $9.3 million compared to Talarico's $31.6 million. Trump has pledged support but has not committed funds from his $400 million MAGA Inc. war chest, and a recent Trump fundraiser in Houston directed money to the Republican National Convention instead of Paxton's campaign.
Leaked Audio Shows Ken Paxton Privately Admitting Trump Hurt Republican Midterm Numbers
A leaked audio recording obtained by The New York Times captures Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately admitting that President Donald Trump's midterm convention in Dallas hurt Republican candidates. At a private fundraiser in Washington, Paxton was asked if Trump is 'a little bit of a drag' and responded that the convention dropped 'everybody's numbers' and that things are 'not good.' Three other attendees confirmed the event and Paxton's negative response. The recording was made by a person who opposes Paxton's campaign. The article notes that polls showed Democrats benefited more from the convention than Republicans. Paxton has struggled to match Democratic opponent James Talarico's fundraising, with Talarico raising $31.6 million to Paxton's $9.3 million. Trump has backed Paxton but hesitated to commit significant funds from his MAGA Inc. super PAC, eventually giving $10 million for two ads. Republican donors have been reluctant to contribute amid mounting scandals surrounding Paxton.
Leaked Audio Shows Ken Paxton Privately Said Trump Hurt Republican Candidates
A leaked audio recording obtained by The New York Times reveals Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately admitting that President Donald Trump's midterm convention in Dallas hurt Republican candidates. At a private fundraiser in Washington, Paxton was asked if Trump was 'a little bit of a drag' and responded that the convention dropped 'everybody's numbers' and that things were 'not good.' Three other attendees confirmed the event and Paxton's negative response. The recording was made by a person who opposes Paxton's campaign. The article notes that polls showed Democrats benefited more from the convention than Republicans. Paxton has struggled to match Democratic opponent James Talarico's fundraising, with Talarico raising $31.6 million to Paxton's $9.3 million. Trump has pledged support but hesitated to commit significant funds from his MAGA Inc. super PAC, eventually giving $10 million for two advertisements. Republican donors have been reluctant to contribute amid mounting scandals surrounding Paxton.
Leaked Audio Shows Ken Paxton Privately Said Trump Convention Hurt Republican Candidates
A leaked audio recording obtained by The New York Times reveals Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately admitting that President Donald Trump's midterm convention in Dallas hurt Republican candidates. At a private fundraiser in Washington, Paxton was asked if Trump was 'a little bit of a drag' and responded that the convention dropped 'everybody's numbers' and that things were 'not good.' Three other attendees confirmed the event and Paxton's negative response. The recording was made by a person who opposes Paxton's campaign. The article notes that polls showed Democrats benefited more from the convention than Republicans. Paxton is struggling to match Democratic opponent James Talarico's fundraising, having raised $9.3 million to Talarico's $31.6 million. Trump has endorsed Paxton but hesitated to commit significant funds from his MAGA Inc. super PAC, eventually giving $10 million for two advertisements. Republican donors have been reluctant to contribute amid mounting scandals surrounding Paxton.