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Ken Paxton Blames Trump Convention for Lack of Boost
Confirmed
In Short: During a private fundraiser in Washington, D.C., Paxton reportedly told attendees that the convention had not helped him, despite President Donald Trump's strong support.
Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton privately expressed frustration with the Republican National Convention, suggesting it may have harmed his campaign's prospects, according to a recording obtained by the New York Times.
The convention, held in Dallas in September, aimed to boost Republican candidates, including Paxton, who was running for Senate. However, the event did not yield the expected results.
Paxton's comments came at a small gathering of about a dozen people, where an attendee secretly recorded the conversation. The recording was later passed to the Times.
Paxton's senior adviser, Nick Maddux, dismissed the recording as 'manipulated nonsense.' Maddux claimed that internal polls showed Paxton leading by three points and improving since early September.
The convention, which cost around $50 million, featured Trump and Vice President Mike Pence delivering speeches each night. Despite this, Paxton's numbers did not change.
Publicly, Paxton remains aligned with Trump, who has praised him and whose super PAC has invested $20 million in the Texas race.
The convention's impact on the race remains uncertain, with some Republicans uneasy about supporting Paxton or Trump.
James Talarico, Paxton's Democratic opponent, is seeking support from Republicans who are uncomfortable with Trump or Paxton.
The convention's failure to boost Republican candidates could have significant implications for the midterm elections, especially in closely watched races like Paxton's.
What this adds
The recording's authenticity and the extent of Paxton's private comments remain in dispute.
The impact of the convention on other Republican candidates and the overall midterm election results is still unclear.
What's confirmed
- President Donald Trump at the Republican convention Wednesday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
What's still developing
- In fact, according to Paxton, the whole thing may have actually hurt him.
- The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Paxton was caught on tape blaming Trump for the empty promises of the convention.
- "Three other people with knowledge of the event confirmed Mr. Paxton’s attendance. Two of these people recalled that Mr. Paxton had been posed this question, and one recalled his response about the negative consequences of Mr. Trump’s convention," the Times said.
- The report called Paxton's remarks "notable" given his strong relationship with Trump and the extent to which the president stuck his neck out to support Paxton over safe Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
- In reality, Not only did the Republican party as a whole fail to achieve a bump from the convention, but Senate candidate Ken Paxton likewise saw no lift from the event.
- During a private Washington D.C., fundraiser last Thursday, Paxton was taped by an attendee, and that recording was passed along to the Times.
- “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.” Two Republican lobbyists, Susan Hirschmann and Chris Brinson, held the event in a conference room near Capitol Hill, the report explained.
- Ken Paxton has been hugging President Trump tight on the campaign trail—but in private, he suggested Trump's big Dallas convention dinged his own prospects.
- That's money sorely needed in Paxton's contest against James Talarico, which Houston Public Media notes is on course to "demolish" the state's spending records in a Senate campaign.
- Their efforts to summon it without him on the ballot will determine whether the inaugural GOP midterm convention changes the campaign or fades as a two-day spectacle.
- Trump’s appearances, especially his sprawling first-day speech, gave MAGA Republicans and other conservatives plenty to cheer, including his support of Attorney General Ken Paxton for the Senate.
- The convention will amount to little more than a temporary burst if voters don’t carry that enthusiasm into the fall.