Ken Paxton Caught Slamming Trump in Leaked Audio After the Prez Dubbed Him 'Not the Best Looking Guy'
Ken Paxton blamed the midterm convention for falling numbers.
Sept. 30 2026, Published 3:45 p.m. ET
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate, privately told donors last week that President Trump's midterm convention in Dallas hurt his campaign and dragged down other Republicans, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The remarks come weeks after Trump publicly teased Paxton's looks from the convention stage, calling him "not the best-looking guy I've ever seen" while still urging Texans to elect him.
The Leaked Audio Involving Ken Paxton
The Paxton campaign criticized the reporting.
Paxton's campaign called the audio, obtained by The New York Times, "manipulated nonsense" and said its own recent polling shows him ahead. Independent surveys this month have generally shown a tight race, with Democrat James Talarico, a state representative, at or slightly ahead.
The audio comes from a private Washington fundraiser last week attended by about a dozen conservative donors and lobbyists. An attendee who opposes Paxton's Senate bid recorded the remarks and gave the file to the Times.
On the recording, someone asks, "Do you feel like he's a little bit of a drag?" The Times reported that it is not clear from the audio whom the questioner meant.
Paxton answered, "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."
Trump Praises Ken Paxton But Mocks His Looks
Trump recently showed Paxton support, but then joked about his appearance.
Republicans held a midterm convention this month at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Trump both endorsed Paxton and joked about him.
"He may not dress right. He may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I've ever seen, but you know what he is? He's the greatest attorney general in America, and he deserves to be your next senator," the 80-year-old said.
Trump also added that aides had warned him not to say it.
Days later, Trump had the opposite political assessment from the one Paxton gave donors. "The fact that we had such a successful convention really helped Ken Paxton," the president claimed. "The convention helped Ken Paxton a lot."
Ken Paxton's Campaign Denies the Story
Adviser Nick Maddux pointed to an internal poll showing Paxton up 3 points following the leaked audio.
Paxton's campaign adviser Nick Maddux told the Times that the paper created 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."
James Talarico vs Ken Paxton Looks Like a Tight Race
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Paxton won the GOP nomination after Trump rejected Sen. John Cornyn.
Trump endorsed Paxton in the Republican primary and helped him win the nomination over the incumbent. Party officials who favored Sen. John Cornyn had argued Paxton's legal and personal controversies would make a safe seat competitive.
Talarico has raised large sums and run ahead of recent Democratic Senate nominees in Texas. Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC has committed millions to Paxton's race.
