Ken Paxton invited a crowd to spell out what sets him apart from his Senate rival, and a heckler happily obliged by blindsiding him.
In a clip shared Saturday by journalist Aaron Rupar, Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, urged the audience to "tell your friends the difference between me and James Talarico," his Democrat opponent. One audience member shouted back, "Paxton, you take bribes!"
The jab landed three days before Paxton faces Talarico in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country. Paxton, the state's attorney general, was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House in 2023 on articles that included accusations of bribery before the state Senate acquitted him.
Paxton's critics wasted no time applauding the heckler and piling on. Ron Filipkowski, a former federal prosecutor and editor-in-chief of MeidasTouch News, agreed with the heckler.
"That is definitely one of the major differences," Filipkowski responded on X. "If you want someone bought and paid for by billionaires to serve their interests over yours, then Paxton is your guy."
George Conway, a conservative attorney and longtime Trump critic, kept it brief. "Well, he asked," Conway quipped.
Political journalist Laura Bassett gave the moment her seal of approval with a simple "Chef's kiss."
Canadian broadcaster Dean Blundell chimed in with a string of laughing, flexing and American flag emojis, while progressive commentator Jared Shult reacted with crying-laughing emojis of his own and declared that the heckler had gotten the better of Paxton.
Influencer Lucas Sanders zeroed in on Paxton's reaction. "He was not expecting that moment!" Sanders added.
Talarico has made Paxton's record a centerpiece of his campaign, calling him "the most corrupt politician in America," CBS News Texas reported. Polls over the summer showed Talarico narrowly ahead within the margin of error, according to reporting by The National News Desk.