Audio Leaks Reveal Paxton Blaming Trump for Campaign Struggles Amid Rally Support

Leaked audio recordings reveal Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton privately attributing his campaign difficulties to President Donald Trump, despite Trump's public endorsements and rally appearances for him. In remarks made at a September 24 fundraising event in Washington D.C., Paxton specifically cited Trump's "Iran war" and the resulting surge in fuel prices, with diesel over $6 per gallon, as significant factors damaging his Senate race against Democrat James Talarico. He stated that affordability issues were "by far our biggest problem" and contributed to his struggle in the polls.

Further audio also captured Paxton admitting that a Republican midterm convention organized by Trump negatively impacted polling numbers for him and other GOP candidates. Additionally, Paxton expressed frustration over a lack of control regarding his own campaign's messaging, suggesting that the direction was largely coming from Washington D.C.

Paxton's campaign has downplayed the recordings, with a spokesperson calling them "manipulated nonsense" or a "non-story" and asserting that Paxton was simply acknowledging public concerns about high gas prices. The revelations emerge as Paxton faces a challenging Senate election, with recent polls indicating a narrow lead for his Democratic opponent.