Trump and Paxton face awkward showdown in Texas as leaked audio reveals him trashing president
A recent poll shows the Republican Senate hopeful trailing his Democratic opponent by 6 percentage points in the ruby-red Lone Star State
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton blamed his Senate campaign woes on President Donald Trump in a leaked audio recording made public Wednesday — just hours before they're scheduled to appear together at a Republican campaign rally.
Paxton privately told donors and lobbyists last month that Trump's war against Iran and the resulting surge in fuel costs were damaging his Senate race against Democrat James Talarico, Axios reported.
“It's the war, it's gas prices, it's diesel,” Paxton said. “When it's over $6 per gallon for diesel ... people are feeling the pinch.”
Paxton also said that the rising cost of fuel “drives up food prices” and that the issue of affordability was “by far our biggest problem” and “why we're having a hard time with numbers.”
A YouGov poll released Tuesday showed Talarico, a Texas state representative, leading Paxton by 6 percentage points, the same margin found by a New York Times/Siena poll released Sunday.
Paxton's remarks were the latest to surface from a closed-door, September 24 fundraising event in Washington, D.C., with Axios saying it obtained the recording from a person who was there and opposes Paxton.
Neither Paxton's campaign nor the White House responded directly to inquiries from The Independent asking whether Paxton's remarks would affect plans for Trump to stump for Paxton in San Antonio at 5 p.m. local time.
In a prepared statement, Paxton campaign spokesperson Madison Cercy said, “This is a non-story. The Attorney General said what every Texan already knows: gas and diesel prices are too high, and hardworking Texans are struggling at the pump and at the grocery store.”
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement that “President Trump remains committed to unleashing American energy dominance, cutting costs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking American families.”
Late last month, The New York Times reported that a recording made during the fundraiser revealed Paxton admitting that Trump's unprecedented, midterm Republican convention in Dallas — during which Trump repeatedly insulted Paxton’s appearance — was a disaster for him and GOP candidates.
“Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good,” he said.
And on Sunday, Politico reported that another recording featured Paxton complaining, “I’ve never been in a race where I felt less control over the campaign and, like, what issues are going to matter because it’s all coming — you know — from D.C.”
The latest poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed Trump with a record-low approval rating of 31 percent and an even lower 26 percent approval rating on his handling of the economy, also a record.
The poll also found that only 28 percent of Americans supported his war against Iran, now in its eighth month, with a record-high 71 opposed.
Despite the dismal numbers, Trump has repeatedly urged Republicans to “pretend that I'm on the ballot” when they cast votes in November 3 midterm elections for control of Congress.
The billionaire president has also promised to send every American adult a $5,000 government-funded “Trump dividend” check if Republicans maintain their hold on both the House and Senate.
The latest Economist/YouGov poll of likely voters gives Democrats an edge of 11 percentage points over Republicans, 47-38, in the so-called generic congressional vote.
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