Trump says he had not heard the remarks and calls the convention amazing
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States
Asked about the recording, Trump says he had not heard Paxton's comments and calls the Dallas convention amazing, saying other candidates were helped greatly.
Responding to
The Republican midterm convention in Dallas lowered Paxton's poll numbers and those of other Republicans.
“But I can tell you that the convention was amazing, as you probably know.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Paxton recorded saying Trump's Dallas convention 'dropped our numbers'; his campaign calls it manipulated
The New York Times published an audio recording on September 30, 2026, in which Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton tells donors at a private fundraiser that the Republican midterm convention in Dallas "dropped our numbers." Paxton's campaign called the recording "manipulated nonsense" and said its polling had improved, Paxton later said the clip did not reflect what he meant, and President Trump called the convention amazing. Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin said it showed Trump was an anchor for Republican candidates.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
CBS News report from September 30, 2026, on reactions to the Paxton recording, including President Trump's Oval Office remarks, Vice President JD Vance's comments to Fox News, a Texas Democratic Party statement and comments from Sen. John Cornyn. CBS says it has not independently verified the audio.
Before the quotation
Asked in the Oval Office about the leaked audio, Trump said he "hadn't heard that" about Paxton's comments.
After the quotation
He then cited the convention's viewership and argued that "other people were helped greatly" by the two-day event.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Paxton's recorded remark that the Dallas midterm convention "dropped our numbers." Trump says he "hadn't heard that" and describes the convention as "amazing" and helpful to other candidates, so we labeled it Challenged characterization. The closest competing label is Denied; it loses because he does not say Paxton's numbers did not drop.
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More from this case
Read the full casePaxton says the clipped remarks are not what he meant
“So just because they were able to clip a few things doesn't mean that that's actually what I meant.”Read statement
Webb says Paxton was caught on tape saying Trump was hurting Republicans
“Reminder: Paxton was literally caught on tape saying Trump making the midterms all about himself was hurting Republicans, including Paxton.”Read statement
DNC chair Ken Martin calls Trump an anchor on Republican candidates
“They put Trump on full display and now they're shocked voters noticed. We told you the guy was an anchor. Thanks for insisting on tying him around the neck of every Republican on the ballot.”Read statement
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- Trump says he had not heard the remarks and calls the convention amazing
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The Dispute Index. "Trump says he had not heard the remarks and calls the convention amazing". First published: 2026-10-17. Last updated: 2026-10-17. https://disputeindex.com/events/5985-asked-about-the-recording-trump-says-he-had