More controversial Ken Paxton audio leaked after he was heard saying Trump was a problem

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican Senate nominee endorsed by President Donald Trump, is facing a third round of leaked remarks from a private Washington fundraiser, this time on the national budget. Recorded audio obtained by The Texas Tribune has him telling lobbyists and donors that trimming mandatory spending is unavoidable, since otherwise there is no solution. Such programs, which include Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, cost $4.2 trillion in fiscal 2025, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Paxton did not say which programs he would target, and he has said he would protect Social Security. He told the Tribune that media outlets were distorting selected clips and that he never promised to take away earned entitlements, according to The Independent.

Earlier recordings caught him naming the Iran war, gas prices and diesel as burdens on his campaign, according to Axios, and, according to The New York Times, saying the party's convention hurt Republican numbers. His campaign called the Axios story a non-story. Trump has praised Paxton at a San Antonio rally, yet also teased him, saying he can sometimes be a pain.

A UMass Lowell/YouGov survey of likely Texas voters shows Paxton deadlocked at 45 percent with Democratic opponent James Talarico.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →