President Donald Trump called Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton a "pain in the ass" on Thursday while delivering an endorsement of the Republican Senate candidate as the GOP seeks to hold a seat in increasingly competitive Texas. Speaking at a manufacturing event in Denton, Trump praised Paxton's loyalty during his legal and political battles, saying the attorney general had stood by him when "the radical left" was targeting him. "Ken Paxton was at my side more than anybody, and I have to always remember that because he could be a pain in the ass sometimes.
I'll be honest," Trump said, drawing laughter from the crowd. Moments later, the president pivoted from the joke to a glowing endorsement, calling Paxton "the greatest attorney general in the United States of America." Trump appeared to be referring in part to Paxton's support after the 2020 election, when the Texas attorney general filed a failed Supreme Court lawsuit seeking to overturn election results in several battleground states won by Biden. Trump's appearance highlighted the stakes of the Texas Senate race, where Paxton is facing Democratic nominee James Talarico.
Although Texas remains a Republican stronghold, the contest has drawn national attention amid signs that Democrats see an opportunity to compete in the state. A polling average compiled by PollsMax on Thursday showed Talarico leading Paxton by just 0.2 percentage points, while other recent surveys have results ranging from a narrow Democratic lead to a slim Republican advantage. "We need Ken so badly, and that's why I'm here," Trump said while touring a Peterbilt Motors factory to promote American manufacturing.
Later Thursday night, Trump will deliver remarks at an RNC rally in Durant, Oklahoma ahead of the midterms. Trump's quip followed reports that Paxton had privately blamed the president's Dallas midterm convention for hurting Republican polling numbers, though it is unclear whether the remark was connected to those comments. At a private fundraiser in Washington last Thursday, Paxton was asked whether Trump had hurt the campaign.
Paxton said the Republican convention the president staged in Dallas on September 9 and September 10 "dropped our numbers," according to a recording obtained by The New York Times. He said everyone's numbers had fallen and described the party's current position as not good. The recording was made by someone who attended the event and opposes Paxton's campaign, and was then given to the Times.
Three other attendees confirmed to the paper that Paxton was present, and two recalled the question being asked of him. Nick Maddux, a senior adviser to the Paxton campaign, called the reporting "manipulated nonsense." He said the campaign's most recent internal polling put Paxton three points ahead and that its numbers had improved since early September. Trump had also previously said that the Dallas event helped Paxton a great deal.
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