The drama unfolds
President Trump had a quick deflection ready on Wednesday when asked about some spicy leaked audio featuring his close ally, Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton. In the clip, reported by The New York Times, Paxton allegedly told a group of donors and lobbyists that the recent GOP midterm convention in Dallas actually hurt the party’s standing. “Everybody's numbers dropped,” Paxton said in the recording. “Right now, yeah, not good.”
Trump’s take
When pressed at the Oval Office, the president claimed he hadn't heard the audio. Instead, he pivoted to highlight the convention’s massive viewership and insisted the two-day event was “amazing” and actually a big W for other GOP candidates. For his part, a spokesperson for Paxton, Nick Maddux, called the report “manipulated nonsense to create a story that doesn't exist,” citing internal polling that shows Paxton up by three points against Democratic challenger James Talarico.
The fallout
It’s giving messy energy for the Texas GOP. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, who previously fell to Paxton in a heated primary, had a blunt response to the news: “Whoops!” Cornyn added that the party is definitely at risk in what he called a “tough environment.” Meanwhile, the Texas Democratic Party didn't hold back, calling Paxton’s remarks “embarrassing to the president.” With Trump scheduled to visit Denton, Texas, on Thursday, the real tea is whether Paxton will actually show up to join him on the campaign trail.
Why it matters
Texas has been a GOP stronghold since 1994, but recent polls show Paxton trailing his opponent. Between the president’s own approval ratings and this latest audio leak, Democrats are feeling like they finally have a shot at flipping the state. It’s a high-stakes moment for the party’s midterm momentum.
