Paxton says the clipped remarks are not what he meant
Ken PaxtonTexas attorney general and Republican nominee for U.S. Senate
Paxton says he is not worried about the recording, praises Trump and says a few clipped remarks do not show what he actually meant.
Responding to
The New York Times story about the Paxton recording is "manipulated nonsense" meant to create a story that does not exist.
“So just because they were able to clip a few things doesn't mean that that's actually what I meant.”
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
Newsweek report on Paxton's October 11, 2026, appearance on Fox News' The Big Weekend Show, where he was asked about the recording, with a recap of the recording and earlier responses.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Asked about the recording on Fox News' The Big Weekend Show, Paxton said he was "not worried about it at all", that he loves President Trump and that Trump has worked hard to help get him elected.
After the quotation
He told viewers to look at his record, "not this little game that James Talarico has played the whole time."
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." Paxton says the clip "doesn't mean that that's actually what I meant", disputing the interpretation of his words, so we labeled it Challenged characterization. The closest competing label is Denied; it loses because he does not deny making the remark or say the numbers did not drop.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- James Talarico
More from this case
Read the full caseWebb 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
Vance says he is not particularly concerned about Paxton's remarks
“I'm not particularly concerned about. We're going to help Ken.”Read statement
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- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Paxton says the clipped remarks are not what he meant
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The Dispute Index. "Paxton says the clipped remarks are not what he meant". First published: 2026-10-17. Last updated: 2026-10-17. https://disputeindex.com/events/5987-paxton-says-he-is-not-worried-about-the