Key facts
- Ken Paxton told donors that President Donald Trump's midterm convention hurt his and other Republicans' election numbers, The New York Times reported.
- Paxton's campaign called the report "manipulated nonsense."
- Trump's MAGA Inc super PAC will spend at least $10 million on Paxton's campaign.
Texas US Senate candidate Ken Paxton told donors that President Donald Trump's recent convention hurt his and other Republicans' election numbers, according to an audio recording cited by The New York Times. Paxton's campaign called the report "manipulated nonsense."
Paxton, who received Trump's endorsement in his primary race against Senator John Cornyn, made the remarks at a private gathering of conservative donors and lobbyists last Thursday, the Times reported. The newspaper cited an audio clip of the candidate's response to a question about whether Trump was "a little bit of a drag."
"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 said in the audio clip.
Paxton's senior adviser, Nick Maddux, stated that the New York Times was creating a story that did not exist. Maddux added that Paxton was looking forward to Trump's visit to Texas this week.
Trump's MAGA Inc super PAC will spend at least $10 million on Paxton's campaign, according to a Federal Election Commission filing. Trump and his Republican Party held a convention in Dallas earlier in September to boost midterm election prospects, but it did not appear to have the desired effect. Trump's approval rating has fallen to 32%, its lowest point, as Republicans have soured on his handling of the cost of living amid the war on Iran.