Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton was caught on leaked audio saying President Donald Trump’s midterm convention hurt his polling numbers and those of other Republicans.
The remarks were reportedly made last Thursday during a private fundraiser near Capitol Hill attended by roughly a dozen conservative donors and lobbyists.
According to reporting on the recording, one attendee asked Paxton whether a certain person was becoming “a little bit of a drag.”
The audio is unclear about exactly who the questioner meant.
Paxton responded by pointing to the Republican midterm convention pushed heavily by Trump earlier this month.
“So to be honest with you, the numbers — when we did that convention — it dropped our numbers,” Paxton said. “Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good.”
The comments have drawn attention because Paxton has publicly maintained a close alliance with Trump.
Trump endorsed Paxton in his Republican Senate primary against longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
Paxton ultimately defeated Cornyn and secured the Republican nomination.
The president also prominently supported Paxton during the recent midterm convention in Dallas.
Trump praised him from the stage and urged voters to back him in the November election.
Paxton was given a high-profile presence at the event and spent time meeting donors and supporters.
The leaked comments therefore create an apparent contrast between Paxton’s public support for Trump and his private assessment of the convention’s political impact.
The recording was reportedly provided to The New York Times by an attendee who opposes Paxton’s candidacy.
Other people familiar with the fundraiser confirmed that Paxton attended.
Paxton’s campaign has strongly pushed back against the interpretation of the recording.
Senior adviser Nick Maddux accused the Times of manipulating the audio to manufacture a controversy.
Maddux said the campaign’s latest polling showed Paxton ahead by three points, according to the Daily Mail.
He also said Paxton’s numbers had improved since early September.
“Ken Paxton is going to win this race,” Maddux said.
He added that Paxton looks forward to campaigning alongside Trump when the president visits Texas.
Independent polling has nevertheless shown a close contest between Paxton and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.
Several recent surveys have placed the race within only a few points.
Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC has also committed millions of dollars to helping Paxton in the race.
Reuters reported that MAGA Inc. planned to spend at least $10 million supporting him.
Trump has publicly argued that the Dallas convention helped Paxton.
“The fact that we had such a successful convention really helped Ken Paxton,” Trump previously said. “He was a big part of it.”
Trump was asked Wednesday about the leaked recording and said he had not heard about it.
He nevertheless defended the convention.
“I can tell you that the convention was amazing,” Trump said.
The episode comes as Republicans face a competitive national midterm environment.
Control of both the House and Senate is at stake in November.
Paxton’s Texas race has attracted particular attention because Republicans have traditionally held a strong advantage in statewide Senate elections there.
The leaked audio does not clearly establish that Paxton was directly calling Trump himself a political liability because the original question is partially unclear.
What is clear is that Paxton said the Trump-backed convention coincided with a drop in his numbers and those of other Republican candidates.
With Election Day only weeks away, those private comments are now becoming another issue for Paxton as he attempts to hold a closely watched Senate seat for the GOP.
