Ken Paxton needles Trump's team again in new leaked clip
Days after leaked audio showed the Texas Senate hopeful blaming Trump's convention for sinking GOP polls, a fresh recording shows Paxton taking another dig at Trump's camp.
Part of a larger narrative
Trump's 2022 Midterm Strategy
- Investigation: Paxton’s state security detail cost Texans $3.3M, most trips unexplained
- WSJ video shows Ken Paxton partying in Dubai with indicted fugitive donors
- Ken Paxton needles Trump's team again in new leaked clipyou are here
- Republicans spend $131M in 17 days to rescue Paxton in Texas Senate race
What to know
- Leaked NYT audio has Paxton privately telling donors Trump's midterm convention tanked GOP polling numbers, including his own.
- Trump and Vance have publicly stuck with Paxton while Trump repeatedly voices annoyance, calling him a 'pain in the ass.'
- Paxton trails Democrat James Talarico by six points in the latest Marist poll, raising the stakes of the rift.
- A new leaked clip on October 5 shows Paxton taking another unspecified jab widely read as aimed at Trump's team, extending the friction.
The dispute Whether the leak represents a fatal blow to Paxton's campaign or just another round of Trump-world sniping that the GOP will paper over. · positions read across 27 posts and comments
The leak proves Trump is dragging down the GOP ticket and Paxton's seat is now at risk.
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“The nail in Ken Paxton's coffin. Leaked audio shows Paxton blaming Trump and the midterm convention for dragging down his numbers. MAGA just lost this seat. 💯”
@AZ_Brittney · X ↗
Republicans privately dislike or distrust Trump but are too afraid to say so publicly.
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“Secretly, a bunch of Republicans dislike trump. The problem is that they are cowards and won't admit it.”
SirRichardLove · Reddit ↗
Trump's own response to the episode shows he lacks a sense of humor or self-awareness.
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“Trump hasn't made a joke in his life. He doesn't understand humour anymore than magnets.”
matthieuC · Reddit ↗
Ken Paxton Texas Attorney General, GOP Senate nominee
Donald Trump President of the United States
JD Vance Vice President
James Talarico Democratic Senate candidate
How it unfolded 5 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideospostscomments
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Paxton pokes back at Trump's team in a new leaked clip
A newly surfaced recording shows Paxton making remarks widely understood as aimed at Trump's team, without naming them explicitly, continuing the public friction after weeks of mutual jabs.
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first by Independent UK, 8d ago
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Paxton was caught on tape in audio leaked last week saying the GOP’s midterm campaign has hurt his poll numbers.
2 more of the top 3 · 9 posts in this stretch
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While good, in that that such will likely make him do even worse, this is more of the bitter fruit of Citizens United. It was not just lobbyists buying the law, but a dictator able to engage in coercing his own party to eliminate congress entirely from the balance of power. With Citizens, congress only works for the ultrawealthy and/or the fuhrer…
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Watch Republican Cash Pours In to Prop Up Ken Paxton in Texas - Bloomberg https://www. bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026 -10-06/republican-cash-pours-in-to-prop-up-ken-paxton-in-texas-video?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Bloomberg Television @ bloomberg-television-bloomberg
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- 2 days quiet
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Trump calls Paxton a 'pain in the ass' but says GOP needs him
During a second Texas trip in weeks, at a Peterbilt plant event in Denton, Trump urged voters to back Paxton while jabbing that Paxton 'could be a pain in the *ss sometimes,' showing continued annoyance over the leaked audio.
“could be a pain in the *ss sometimes…”
— Donald Trump -
6 outlets first by Newsweek, 12d ago · also The Hill, Baltimore Sun, Mercury News, Orlando Sentinel, Roll Call · read ↗
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2 outlets first by The Daily Wire, 11d ago · also Daily Wire · read ↗
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# CNN # News Trump jokingly calls Paxton a ‘pain in the ass’ at Texas event
1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
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Trump hasn't made a joke in his life. He doesn't understand humour anymore than magnets.
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- 1 day quiet
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Vance downplays the leak, says Trump will help Paxton
Vice President JD Vance told a reporter he was not worried about the NYT story and said Trump remains committed to backing Paxton's campaign.
“not particularly concerned…”
— JD Vance -
#EXCLUSIVE: Vice President JD Vance tells me he’s “not particularly concerned” about NYT reporting on private audio of Ken Paxton saying President Trump’s midterm convention hurt his numbers. “We’re going to help Ken. The president wants to help Ken.” Vance added Paxton is
2 more of the top 3 · 4 posts in this stretch
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Ken Paxton reportedly claims Trump's midterm convention hurt him politically https:// abcnews.com/video/136898067/?u tm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Politics @ politics-abc
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Secretly, a bunch of Republicans dislike trump. The problem is that they are cowards and won't admit it.
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Polling context underscores stakes of the leak
Coverage noted Democrat James Talarico led Paxton by six points in the latest Marist poll, framing the leaked comments as evidence of a struggling campaign.
“The nail in Ken Paxton's coffin. Leaked audio shows Paxton blaming Trump and the midterm convention for dragging down his numbers. MAGA just lost this seat. 💯…”
— @AZ_Brittney, social media user · source -
NEW: Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for Senate in Texas, told a group of conservative donors and lobbyists last week that President Trump’s midterm convention in Dallas had hurt Mr. Paxton politically, according to an audio recording obtained by The New York Times.
2 more of the top 3 · 6 posts in this stretch
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Democrat James Talarico leads Paxton by six points in the latest Marist poll out last week.
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Here's NYT story w/recording of Ken Paxton describing what a dead weight Trump has been, including the convention. “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.” www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/u... Ken Paxton, G.O.P. Nominee in ...
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NYT publishes leaked audio of Paxton blaming Trump's convention
The New York Times reported that Ken Paxton told conservative donors and lobbyists that Trump's Dallas midterm convention had hurt his Senate campaign's polling, based on an audio recording obtained by the paper.
“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.”
— Ken Paxton -
12 outlets first by Forbes, 13d ago · also New York Magazine, Crooks and Liars, The Washington Sun, New Republic, Washington Examiner, The Hill +5 · read ↗
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first by The Washington Sun, 8d ago · also New Republic, Politico, The Independent, Newsweek, The Bulwark, Forbes
7 more headlines
- Ken Paxton Admits Team Trump Controls His Campaign in Leaked Audio New Republic · 8d ago
- Campaign ‘all coming from DC,’ Paxton says Politico · 8d ago
- Ken Paxton Privately Admits Senate Campaign ‘All Coming From D.C.’: 'I Don't Control Message' Political.org · 8d ago
- Trump-mocked Ken Paxton blasts DC ‘control’ over Texas campaign in leaked audio The Independent · 8d ago
- Ken Paxton Says DC Controls His Texas Senate Campaign in Leaked Audio Newsweek · 8d ago
- LEAKED AUDIO: Ken Paxton Says D.C. Is Running His Campaign | MAGA Mondays Mastodon · 8d ago
- New Ken Paxton Leaked Audio Says Washington Runs His Campaign: ‘I Don’t Control Messaging’ Forbes · 8d ago
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BREAKING: In stunning leaked audio from the New York Times, Ken Paxton was caught saying Donald Trump is dragging down his campaign. It appears there may be major trouble brewing for Trump and Paxton.
2 more of the top 3 · 6 posts in this stretch
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“.. Mr. 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.’” @nytimes.com #TXsen
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BA HA HA HA HA # GiftArticle # uspol 'Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for Senate in Texas, told a group of conservative donors and lobbyists last week that President Trump’s midterm convention in Dallas had hurt Mr. Paxton politically, according to an audio recording obtained by The New York Times.' https://www. nytimes.com/2026/09/30/us/poli…
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Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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4 outlets Texas AG Ken Paxton vents frustration at DC sway over Senate bid: 'I don't control message'
first by New York Post, 8d ago · also Guardian, Bloomberg Politics, NY Post
2 more headlines
- Republican Ken Paxton admits forces in DC control his Texas Senate campaign Guardian US · 8d ago
- Republican Cash Pours In to Prop Up Ken Paxton in Texas Bloomberg Politics · 7d ago
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first by NY Post, 12d ago · also Washington Examiner, New York Post
1 more headline
- Trump rallies support for Ken Paxton in Texas campaign stop Washington Examiner · 12d ago
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first by Independent UK, 12d ago · also The Independent
and 4 smaller pieces
What people are saying 11 voices from 4 sites · best of 27 · verbatim
- Oct 5
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I mean if maga and republicans split into 2 parties that would be ideal, let them steal each others votes.
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I am of the belief that if you are someone who is rich as fuck and has a lot of power somewhere along the way you’ve committed some crimes to get there.
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Well the duke boys hijinx also impacted him, like that time they forced him to drive his car into that pond
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Paxton has been under indictment since 2015, impeached by his own party, and now on leaked audio he’s mad he can’t even staff his own campaign without Mar-a-Lago approval. This is what the GOP is now ,you need Trump’s permission to run as a Republican in Texas.
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Say it in different words that Paxton's just there to be a trump maga-puppet. Saying it louder that no decent person wants to be associated with him.
- Oct 1
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ICYMI — Paxton admitted Trump is a “drag” on Republicans and said the weird Trumpapalooza midterm narcissism convention “dropped our numbers” 👀🤷🏼
- Sep 30
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“Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for Senate in Texas, told a group of conservative donors and lobbyists last week that Trump’s midterm convention in Dallas had hurt Paxton politically, according to an audio recording …”Everybody’s numbers dropped…” Ken Paxton, G.O.P. Nominee in ...
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Ken Paxton told a group of conservative donors and lobbyists last week that Trump’s midterm convention in Dallas had hurt Paxton politically, according to an audio recording obtained by the @nytimes.com. @teddyschleifer.bsky.social
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Secret recording catches Ken Paxton privately trashing Trump’s convention: NYT # RawStory
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Paxton privately trashed Trump’s midterm convention: leaked audio https://www. alternet.org/ken-paxton-267796 5173/ via Alternet.org
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Ken Paxton trashes Trump’s convention in leaked audio obtained by the NYT. Paxton tells donors and lobbyists that Trump is a drag on his campaign.