Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, privately admitted that President Donald Trump's war with Iran and the fuel prices that came with it are dragging down his campaign, according to newly leaked audio obtained by Axios.
The Trump-endorsed Paxton made the remarks last month to donors and lobbyists at a closed-door fundraiser in Washington, D.C., and the recording came from an attendee who opposes the GOP candidate, Axios reported, adding that the source was granted anonymity because the event was private.
When an attendee asked which issues were "dragging" on his campaign, Paxton responded, "It's not tariffs. ... It's the war, it's gas prices, it's diesel."
"When it's over $6 per gallon for diesel ... people are feeling the pinch," Paxton continued, adding that higher fuel costs drive "up food prices and everything else."
He called affordability "by far our biggest problem" and said it explains "why we're having a hard time with numbers."
When another attendee pointed out that Paxton "can't stop the war," the candidate agreed and said he has "no control over gas prices."
"So many factors in this federal race are uncontrollable," Paxton said. "I don't make the decisions, and I don't ... know what's behind some of the decisions."
It's a striking admission from one of Trump's most loyal allies, who has spent years tying his political fortunes to the president.
Paxton offered his tax cut plan as his answer to rising costs, which includes new housing and health care deductions and a bigger child tax credit.
"I'm just trying to figure out ways I can help people," Paxton said. "That's the only way – I can propose legislation."
His campaign brushed off the report. "This is a non-story," a Paxton campaign official told Axios, insisting that "President Trump is doing everything he can to bring prices down."
This is the third batch of audio to come out of the same fundraiser. The New York Times reported last week that Paxton said Trump's midterm convention in Dallas "dropped our numbers." On Monday, Politico reported that he complained control of his campaign is "all coming ... from D.C."
The latest leak comes the same day Trump is set to rally with Paxton in San Antonio.
The state attorney general faces Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who has narrowly led in most polls. If Talarico wins, he would be the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas since the 1980s.
Paxton reached the general election by beating Sen. John Cornyn in a May runoff, after Trump endorsed him over Senate Republicans' objections.