Journalists, analysts and politicians were left floored Wednesday after Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general and GOP Senate nominee, became the latest prominent Republican to criticize President Donald Trump or his midterm strategies.
“Rats jumping off a sinking ship,” quipped Jaime Harrison, former chair of the Democratic National Committee.
The New York Times obtained and reported on secretly recorded audio Wednesday that exposed Paxton for badmouthing Trump’s GOP midterm convention held earlier this month, bemoaning that “everybody’s numbers dropped” after the event, describing it as “not good.”
While Paxton has “always positioned himself as a Trump ally,” as noted by The Texas Tribune, his “loyalty reached a new intensity” after the 2020 election, with Paxton widely seen as among the president’s most devout followers.
As Trump’s deeply unpopular war against Iran continues to send oil prices surging, however, a growing number of GOP lawmakers have raced to distance themselves from the president, with some calling for an “immediate end” to the Middle East conflict.
“This is not good for Paxton,” wrote Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman, adding that the Times’ report comes as a “staggering” amount of campaign cash has been funneled into Texas to help bolster Paxton’s campaign as he trails further and further behind his Democratic opponent. “Trashing Trump in a fundraiser. Also trying to shift blame for his bad numbers. Will be interesting to see if this gives [the Senate Leadership Fund’s Texas PAC] the impetus to give up on their massive, $125M spend there.”
MeidasTouch Editor-in-Chief Ron Filipkowski described Paxton’s slight as throwing “Trump and the RNC under the bus,” and “Pod Save America” host Tommy Vietor sarcastically quipped, “This will go over well at the White House,” alluding to Trump’s frequent outbursts at GOP lawmakers he’s deemed insufficiently loyal.
“If there’s one big no-no with Donald Trump, it’s insulting a big ostentatious event that he puts on,” wrote Adam Carlson, founding partner of Zenith Research. “Whether or not this draws his direct public ire, Paxton needs Trump, Trump-aligned super PAC money & die-hard Trump voters to pull off the win. This could jeopardize all of that.”
They put Trump on full display and now they’re shocked voters noticed.
We told you the guy was an anchor. Thanks for insisting on tying him around the neck of every Republican on the ballot. https://t.co/gaedh3cl7y
— Ken Martin (@kenmartin73) September 30, 2026