Leaked audio: Paxton said Trump's Dallas convention hurt his Senate race

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately told donors and lobbyists that President Donald Trump's midterm convention in Dallas earlier in September damaged his campaign's poll numbers, according to an audio recording obtained by The New York Times and published on September 30, 2026.

During a private fundraiser meeting, when asked if Trump was "a little bit of a drag," Paxton responded: "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." The remarks contradicted Trump's public statements that the convention "really helped" Paxton and was "amazing."

Paxton's campaign disputed the audio's authenticity and impact. Senior adviser Nick Maddux called it "manipulated nonsense" and pointed to an internal poll showing Paxton leading Democratic opponent James Talarico by three percentage points, fielded two weeks after the convention. However, most public polls have shown Paxton trailing Talarico, a state lawmaker, heading into the November election. Trump's super PAC MAGA Inc. has deployed over $20 million to support Paxton's candidacy since early September.

When asked about the leaked audio on Wednesday, Trump said he "hadn't heard" about Paxton's comments but defended the convention as "amazing" and argued "other people were helped greatly" by the two-day event. The convention, held September 9–10 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, was unprecedented for a midterm cycle and featured Trump headlining both nights. At the convention, Trump made pointed remarks about Paxton's appearance, saying he "may not dress right," "may not talk exactly perfectly," and "may not be the best-looking guy I've ever seen," though he also called Paxton "the greatest attorney general in America."

Talarico, a state representative, has raised substantially more money than Paxton. The race has become one of the most expensive Senate contests on record, with national Republican groups and super PACs spending over $125 million on advertising. Trump endorsed Paxton over incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn during the primary earlier in 2026, helping Paxton secure the nomination. Trump's approval rating in Texas was underwater as of August 2026, according to the University of Texas at Austin's Texas Politics Project.