WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) – U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton told a group of donors that President Donald Trump’s midterm convention hurt him and other Republicans running in November’s elections, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing an audio recording of the candidate and attendees.
Paxton, who defeated four-term Senator John Cornyn in a Republican primary after receiving Trump’s endorsement, made the remarks to a private gathering of conservative donors and lobbyists last Thursday, the Times reported. Reuters has not independently verified the recording.
In the recording, someone asks Paxton, “Do you feel like he’s a little bit of a drag?” the Times said. The questioner did not identify who he was asking about and that part of the recording was less distinct than Paxton’s reply.
“So to be honest with you, the numbers — when we did that convention — it dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good,” Paxton said in the audio clip posted on the newspaper’s website.
Paxton senior adviser Nick Maddux said in an emailed statement: “This is more manipulated nonsense from the New York Times to create a story that doesn’t exist.”
He added that Paxton is looking forward to Trump’s visit to Texas this week.
The comments were made at a small private fundraiser in Washington, the Times reported. Three people with knowledge of the event confirmed Paxton’s attendance; two of them remembered the question and one recalled Paxton’s response, the report said. The audio recording was shared by an attendee who opposes Paxton’s candidacy, it said.
Trump gave Paxton his blessing in the race against Cornyn in May and has praised the candidate since. Paxton faces Democratic state Representative James Talarico, a rising star and prodigious fundraiser, in the November election as Republicans seek to defend a narrow majority in the chamber. Independent polls have shown a tight race.
Trump’s MAGA Inc super PAC will spend at least $10 million on Paxton’s campaign, according to a Federal Election Commission filing from early September.
Trump and his Republican Party held the unusual convention in Dallas earlier in September, hoping to strengthen their midterm election prospects, but it does not appear to have had the desired effect.
The president’s popularity has declined since he launched a war on Iran in February that has disrupted oil shipments from the Middle East and pushed fuel prices near record highs, hitting US household finances. Since the war started, Trump’s Republicans have also lost support, and in recent weeks have lost their longtime edge as the better party for economic policy.
Last week, Trump’s approval rating fell to 32% — lowest of his political career — as Republicans have soured on his handling of the cost of living amid the unpopular Iran war, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; editing by David Gaffen)
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