PoliticsDonald Trump's Convention Trashed by Ken Paxton in Bombshell Leaked Audio: Report
Paxton gave a frank assessment of 'Trump-a-Palooza.'
Sept. 30 2026, Updated 2:27 p.m. ET
Not everyone was a fan of President Donald Trump's self-centered GOP midterm convention — including Republican candidates struggling to get elected.
In bombshell leaked audio, Texan Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton slammed the stunt, saying "Trump-a-palooza" hurt his "numbers" in his race against Democrat James Talarico, as well as the numbers for Republicans across the country.
'It Dropped Our Numbers'
Paxton said his and 'everybody's' numbers dropped.
In a clip obtained by The New York Times, Paxton is asked by an unknown speaker about the 80-year-old president, “Do you feel like he’s a little bit of a drag?”
Paxton responds, “So to be honest with you, the numbers — when we did that convention — it dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good.”
The clip was given to the NYT by an anonymous attendee of a recent fundraiser. The attendee told the publication he is opposed to Paxton's candidacy.
Trump Insulted Paxton at the Midterm Convention
Trump poked fun at Paxton at the convention.
Paxton is struggling in his race against Talarico. The majority of polls give the younger Democrat a narrow lead over Paxton in Texas, which has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.
Trump tried to stir up enthusiasm for Paxton at the mid-September "Trump-a-palooza" in Dallas, but the ever-candid 80-year-old president joked that Paxton "may not be the best-looking guy.”
Paxton earned the Republican nomination by defeating incumbent John Corbyn, who ran afoul of Trump during the president's second term. However, the Texan has been dragged down by his myriad scandals from his time as Texas' Attorney General.
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Polling Supports Paxton's Assessment
Paxton is struggling against James Talarico.
A spokesperson for Paxton denied the candidate's recording, calling it "manipulated nonsense" to "create a story that doesn't exist" in a statement to CNN.
He added, “Every serious pollster will tell you that our numbers have improved since early September. Ken Paxton is going to win this race, and he looks forward to closing strong alongside President Trump including when he comes to Texas this week.”
However, the evidence supports Paxton's recorded assessment of GOP polling post-Trump-a-palooza. Aggregators Nate Silver and FiftyPlusOne show that Democrats have gotten a two point bump in a generic ballot since the September 9 convention.
Paxton's numbers have also dipped, as most polls show Talarico widening his lead. Paxton's most favorable recent poll, taken by Texas Southern University, still finds him trailing by a point.
Texas Is A Crucial Senate Race
Democrats are optimistic about winning Texas.
Texas' Senate race is crucial as Republicans attempt to stave off a midterm Blue Wave that threatens to find Democrats take both chambers of Congress.
Democrats need to pick up four seats in order to take control the Senate. Per the Cook Political Report, Texas, Alaska, Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, Ohio and Maine are all "toss up" seats headed into the midterms. The opening seat in North Carolina, currently held by retiring Republican Trump critic Thom Tillis, is "Lean D."
Republican polling has cratered along with President Trump's approval rating, putting states that have long been Republican strongholds in play for Dems.
