Trump Insults Ken Paxton Again During Rally and Declared He Didn't 'Care' If He Was There — After Texas Attorney General Was Caught Calling Out Prez
President Donald Trump took jabs at Texas Senate nominee Ken Paxton.
Oct. 2 2026, Published 12:52 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump called Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton “a pain in the a–,” despite endorsing the attorney general for the GOP nomination, RadarOnline has learned.
The POTUS, 80, made the controversial jab at the Senate candidate while campaigning for him in Denton, Texas.
Loyalty and the Latest Jab
Trump said Paxton is loyal despite him saying he is a pain to work with.
During an October 1 appearance at Peterbilt Motors, Trump made the unflattering remark while also praising Paxton’s loyalty and urging voters to support him in the November midterm election.
“When I was being hit by the radical left very hard…Ken Paxton was at my side more than anybody," he said. "And I have to always remember that, cause he can be a pain in the a– sometimes, I’ll be honest. We need Ken so badly, that’s why I am here."
The president then seemed to forget whether Paxton was in attendance for a moment.
“Is he here, by the way?” Trump asked before spotting him in the crowd. “Oh, there he is. Good. I didn’t even know if he was here! I don’t care.”
Despite the jab, Trump continued praising Paxton, calling him a “special man” and saying he was among the most loyal people in his political orbit.
The Convention Controversy
Paxton allegedly implied Trump was bad for his campaign in leaked audio.
The diss came amid renewed attention to Paxton’s standing after he reportedly criticized the Republican midterm convention Trump headlined in Dallas last month.
An audio recording obtained by The New York Times reportedly captured Paxton telling donors that the event hurt Republican candidates’ polling numbers.
“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,” Paxton reportedly said.
Paxton’s senior adviser Nick Maddux disputed the reporting, telling the Times, “This is more manipulated nonsense from The New York Times to create a story that doesn’t exist.”
“Our latest poll from the last week has Ken Paxton leading by three points, and every serious pollster will tell you that our numbers have improved since early September.”
As RadarOnline previously reported, a Republican insider told POLITICO that because Trump chose to endorse Paxton over four-term incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, infighting is bound to ensue if Talarico wins.
Earlier Digs at Appearance
Trump and Paxton have traded shots at each other despite claims of loyalty.
Trump has also taken public digs at Paxton’s appearance and clothing during the Dallas convention.
“I said, ‘I don’t like the way Ken dresses,” Trump shared during his September 10 closing address, before adding that Paxton looked “really sharp” in a suit.
The president also told attendees the previous night that Paxton “may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen,” before praising him as “the greatest Attorney General in America” and saying he deserved to become the state’s next senator.
The Broader Race
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The Texas senate race is just one of the many midterm elections that will measure MAGA's turnout.
Trump’s appearance in Texas is part of a broader effort to rally Republican candidates ahead of the November midterms, which party strategists view as a critical test of base turnout.
Recent polls show the president’s approval rating at or near record lows for his second term, with several surveys placing it in the low-to-mid 30s.
Elevated gas prices and cost-of-living pressures have weighed on public sentiment.
With Independents and swing voters largely unreceptive, Republican operatives have been desperately trying to mobilize core MAGA supporters in both competitive and safe states as the party seeks to hold the Senate.
