NEWSJohn Oliver Says Ken Paxton Has 2 Campaign Problems: A $1,000 Pen and Donald Trump's Praise
John Oliver examined the Texas Senate race on ‘Last Week Tonight.’
Oct. 4 2026, Published 1:22 p.m. ET
John Oliver found an unexpected star in the competitive U.S. Senate race in Texas: a luxury pen that disappeared at a courthouse eight years ago.
During the September 27 episode of Last Week Tonight, Oliver examined the contest between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, beginning with a campaign ad featuring Dallas attorney Joe Joplin, who owns the luxury pen Paxton allegedly took.
The Pen Owner Joins the Campaign
Joe Joplin appeared in a campaign ad supporting James Talarico.
Oliver first replayed a 2018 ad built around security footage of Paxton picking up a $1,000 Montblanc pen that Joplin had accidentally left near courthouse metal detectors and walking away with it.
That ad supported Democrat Justin Nelson, promising voters that Paxton’s opponent “won’t steal your pen.”
Talarico’s campaign has now revived the incident by recruiting Joplin himself.
“Hi, I’m Joe Joplin, and I endorse James Talarico for the United States Senate,” Joplin says in the new commercial. “Vote for James Talarico. He won’t steal your pen.”
“They got the owner of the pen to endorse Talarico,” Oliver marveled.
The ad revived the controversy surrounding a missing $1,000 Montblanc pen.
Paxton’s campaign previously described the incident as “nothing more than a security mix-up.” Joplin called that explanation “laughable,” saying he did not pursue charges because he simply wanted the pen returned.
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Donald Trump Finds a Nickname for James Talarico
John Oliver also addressed Donald Trump’s nickname for James Talarico during the episode.
Oliver said recent polling had made the Texas race “surprisingly in play” for Democrats, although the party failed to capture the seat with Beto O’Rourke in 2018 and Colin Allred in 2024.
Trump has labeled Talarico “Tala-Freako,” a nickname Oliver reluctantly credited.
“Yeah, I get it,” Oliver said. “I mean, what can you really say there? Even a rotting fruit’s still got some juice.”
Ken Paxton Endorsement Sounds Like an Insult
Donald Trump gave Ken Paxton an endorsement that John Oliver portrayed as awkward.
Trump has endorsed Paxton, but Oliver played a collection of clips demonstrating how difficult that support can be to recognize.
“You know, we have a guy named Ken Paxton,” Trump said in one. “And some people don’t like the way he dresses, or some people don’t like the way he interviews or talks.”
Another clip showed Trump saying Paxton “may not dress right,” “may not talk exactly perfectly” and “may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen” before calling him perhaps the country’s best attorney general.
Trump acknowledged that his introduction was “so insulting to him,” but added, “I might as well say it.”
“You definitely might as well,” Oliver responded, “given it seems you’ve already said it 400 different times!”
