Republicans are trying to sandbag Ken Paxton — for a bizarre reason: Strategist

The leaks dribbling out daily from Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton's campaign aren't an accident, political strategist Chai Komanduri speculated to MS NOW's Ari Melber on Friday's edition of "The Beat."

Rather, he said, they're part of a concerted effort to sink his campaign — for a very roundabout reason.

"I know thisis not the Joe Rogan Show, so Idon't want to do conspiracytheory, but we seem to get alot of leaked audio about KenPaxton," said Komanduri. And as to why, "I kind ofhave a theory that part of ithas to do with the fact thatTexas is an extremely expensivestate."

The race, he said, "is taking up a lot ofresources and money on the partof the Republican Party and John Thune and the DSCC. Theydon't want to spend that moneyanymore. They would ratherspend it defending, believe itor not, Cindy Hyde-Smith inMississippi or, you know, TomCotton in Arkansas ...there are other places wherethey would feel that that moneywould go much further and domuch better. And they're kindof annoyed."

Melber appeared intrigued by the idea. "If you arepursuing the idea that maybethey want some of this out there to get more help, whywould they then also leak onseparate days, the infightingwith [outgoing Sen. John] Cornyn? I mean, don't theywant to be past that no matterwhat?"

"I think part of it is,is that they want to show thatKen Paxton is disloyal to Donald Trump," said Komanduri. "Let's sayyou're John Thune and you wantto pull from Texas to put intoArkansas or Mississippi orSouth Carolina, you need tohave the approval of the men inthe White House. And what wouldget you that approval? Howabout leaked audio of KenPaxton dissing Donald Trump,dissing his convention, dissingthe impact that Donald Trumphad on Ken Paxton's numbers?That would work very, very well."

The bottom line, Komanduri theorized, is that all of this is "not the sign of a winningteam. It's not the sign of aparty that's going to coastthis November to victory."

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