Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton faced another leak from a September 24 event where he criticized Washington decision-making for issues like the war with Iran and rising fuel costs, which affect diesel prices and overall expenses. This is the third leaked audio from the same event; Paxton acknowledged having no control over gas prices or ending the war. With under a month until Election Day, polls show Paxton trailing Democratic opponent James Talarico. The article highlights the challenges for Republican candidates as President Trump faces record-low approval ratings and battles to prevent Democrats from gaining control of Congress.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Republican US Senate candidate Ken Paxton, currently trailing in polls, was caught on audio criticizing Washington decision-making during a September 24th private fundraising lunch in Washington, DC. He attributed his struggling campaign to the war in Iran, high diesel prices, and rising food costs. "When it's over $6 per gallon for diesel... people are feeling the pinch," Paxton stated, noting that he has no control over gas prices or the ongoing conflict. This is the third audio leak from the same event in a month as Paxton prepares to share the stage with President Trump in San Antonio on Wednesday evening. The cost of diesel surged to around $6.50 a gallon last month due to turmoil overseas caused by wars in Ukraine and Iran, pushing up transportation costs across the country.
Written for “Paxton Campaign Scandal” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but all 2 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 62928: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-07
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Trailing US Senate candidate Ken Paxton has been caught trashing Washington decision-making yet again, as more explosive audio has surfaced just hours before he is due to share the stage with President Trump.
Paxton was asked by an attendee what he sees as 'dragging' his campaign, to which he responded, 'It's not tariffs....
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It → sign → which
It's the war, it's gas prices, it's diesel,' according to the audio from a September 24th event.
uncertain
it → accord → event
The Lone Star State Republican made the admission to a room of lobbyists at a private fundraising lunch in Washington, DC, per audio reported on by Axios.
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Republican → make → Axios
'When it's over $6 per gallon for diesel... people are feeling the pinch,' Paxton also stated, before adding that rising fuel costs drive 'up food prices and everything else.'
The Texan also acknowledged that he can't stop the war, and has 'no control over gas prices.'
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he → feel → prices
Paxton's remarks are the third that have been leaked from the same event in the last month.
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that → leak → month
The revelation comes as Trump heads to San Antonio to campaign with him Wednesday evening.
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Trump → come → him
With under a month left before Election Day, Paxton is behind Democratic opponent, James Talarico, in the latest polling from the New York Times and Siena Research.
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Paxton → leave → Times
Paxton's campaign has also been marred by a slew of personal issues amid his ongoing divorce, and his fling with his mistress Tracy Duhon, which the Daily Mail has extensively reported on.
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Mail → mar → which
The leak comes at a perilous moment for Republicans, as Trump is being forced to campaign in deep-red states as the GOP scrambles to stop Democrats from seizing control of both the House and Senate.
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GOP → come → House
US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a rally for Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton in Denton, Texas, last week
Republican US Senate candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was seen traveling to Iceland during the July 4th holiday weekend with his mistress Tracy Duhon
The price of diesel is displayed in the pump of a gas station in Los Angeles, on September 22, 2026
The president is also battling record-low approval ratings and a cost-of-living crisis fueled by the war in Iran.
Diesel surged to around $6.50 a gallon last month, pushing up the cost of transporting everything from groceries to construction materials across the country.
The dramatic spike has been fueled by turmoil overseas in response to the wars in Ukraine and Iran, which have led to attacks on refineries in Russia and the Middle East.
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which → deliver → Russia
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found Trump's approval rating to be 32 percent.
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rating → find → ?
That same poll found that 44 percent of voters surveyed preferred Democratic candidates, compared to just 37 percent who favored Republicans.
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who → find → Republicans
Against that backdrop, Paxton privately complained about how little control he has over his own campaign in separate leaked audio obtained by Politico and released Monday.
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he → complain → Politico
'I don't control message or what we're doing,' he said, griping that the direction was coming from DC.
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direction → control → DC
The admission was striking given Paxton owes his candidacy to Trump after spending months fighting for the president's endorsement during a brutal GOP primary.
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Paxton → give → primary
At a White House dinner in September, Trump laid a slew of backhanded compliments on Paxton, saying, 'you might not like the way he looks, you might not love his television interviews,' before praising him as the 'best attorney general' and adding 'that speaks a lot louder than the suit he's wearing that doesn't look so great.'
Trump also said that Paxton 'can be a pain in the ass' during a visit to a truck plant in Denton, Texas last week.
Still, at the Washington DC event last month, Paxton told lobbyists that messaging in a federal race often comes from others, leaving him stuck with decisions he cannot alter.
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he → lay → decisions
'I don't have ability to change anything,' he said.
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he → have → anything
One attendee told Politico that Paxton never blamed Trump's team by name, but those in the room understood who he meant.
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he → tell → who
The two are pictured here in November of 2019
The comments are particularly awkward for a candidate who won the nomination by branding incumbent John Cornyn a Washington insider insufficiently loyal to Trump.
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who → picture → Trump
'I'm not their person and I'm never going to be their person,' Paxton said of the DC establishment during the primary, according to the AP.
uncertain
Paxton → go → AP
Paxton adviser Nick Maddux insisted the attorney general was 'obviously' referring to super PACs, which campaigns cannot coordinate with.
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campaigns → insist → which
In a separate recording obtained by the New York Times, Paxton said Trump's midterm convention in Texas 'dropped our numbers' — a report Maddux dismissed as 'manipulated nonsense'.
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Maddux → obtain → nonsense
Despite the polling anxiety, Paxton maintains a major cash advantage over Talarico, rolling out a $20 million ad buy last month while receiving millions from Senate Majority Leader John Thune's GOP fund since September.
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Paxton → maintain → September
The Aporia
