Trump’s Texas-sized problem is about more than TV ratings

Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton of Texas has been caught on leaked audio conceding that President Donald Trump's midterm convention in Dallas hurt his standing, a sign of trouble for the party heading into November. The recording from a GOP fundraiser was obtained by The New York Times. Paxton told donors that poll numbers fell for everyone after the event and that the situation was "not good.", according to The Independent.

Trump brushed off the comments, blaming scheduling: the two-night gathering ran opposite NFL games, including the Patriots' season opener. He claimed 107 million views against 24 million for the NFL. According to media analytics firms, that total adds up social media impressions, including suggested content that users may never have watched. The Independent notes that Paxton was actually responding to a question about whether Trump himself weighs down his campaign, which points to a problem with the message rather than the audience size.

Paxton trails Democrat James Talarico in a state where Trump's approval stands at 42 percent, and he lacks the endorsement of Sen. John Cornyn, his former primary rival. A Democratic win in Texas could put Senate control in play, and weakness there could signal danger in Kansas, Iowa and Alaska.

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