Ken Paxton privately said Trump's Dallas convention hurt Republicans, audio shows

The New York Times published audio on Sept. 30 in which Ken Paxton privately said President Donald Trump’s midterm convention in Dallas “hurt” Republican candidates, including his own Senate campaign.

The recording, obtained by the Times and reported by other outlets, captures Paxton speaking at a private fundraiser to conservative donors and lobbyists about the fallout from the Dallas gathering.

In the clip Paxton says, “Everybody’s numbers dropped,” a line cited in coverage by The Hill and Reuters that linked the convention to weaker polling for GOP hopefuls.

Paxton’s campaign pushed back after the audio surfaced. A Paxton adviser called the tape “manipulated nonsense,” according to reporting that cited the campaign’s response while noting The New York Times held the recording.

Observers and local outlets placed the remarks in the broader context of Republican debate over the Trump-led event’s political effect; internal coverage has linked convention viewership and party disputes to fragile midterm dynamics for Texas Republicans.

For background on Paxton’s candidacy and the legal and political fights around him, see Ken Paxton’s legal and political battles, and for coverage of the intra-party split over Trump, see Republican Party faces widening split over Trump.

Empty conference hall with scattered chairs and a single lectern under dim lights, an anonymous envelope on the lectern suggesting a leaked recording; quiet, anticipatory scene

Reporting shows the audio was circulated to multiple outlets and quickly drew national coverage, with outlets including Reuters, The Hill and the Texas Tribune summarizing both the clip and the campaign’s denial.

Close-up of a smartphone on a table displaying an audio waveform, two anonymous hands in the background blurred as if sharing a recording

How this will affect turnout or vote margins in the Texas Senate race is unclear; coverage so far notes internal polling disputes, with the campaign saying Paxton is up in some polls while the tape has intensified scrutiny of GOP strategy ahead of the midterms.

Sources

The New York Times — published the audio recording of Ken Paxton saying Trump’s Dallas convention hurt Republicans and provided the original report.
Reuters — reported that Paxton told donors the convention “dropped our numbers” and summarized the campaign response.
The Hill — quoted the line “Everybody’s numbers dropped” from the leaked audio and covered political reaction.
Texas Tribune — reported Paxton’s private remarks occurred at a fundraiser with conservative donors and lobbyists.