Webb says Paxton was caught on tape saying Trump was hurting Republicans
Christopher WebbPolitical commentator
Webb cites the recording as showing that Trump's focus on himself was hurting Republicans, including Paxton, as Trump returned to Texas to campaign for him.
Responding to
The Republican midterm convention in Dallas lowered Paxton's poll numbers and those of other Republicans.
“Reminder: Paxton was literally caught on tape saying Trump making the midterms all about himself was hurting Republicans, including Paxton.”
Original post
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
Original post
About this source
Bluesky post by commentator Christopher Webb on the day Trump returned to Texas to campaign with Paxton, referring to the leaked recording.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Texas Tribune report on the audio recording published by The New York Times on September 30, 2026, in which Paxton tells a small group of donors and lobbyists at a fundraiser that the Dallas midterm convention "dropped our numbers." It includes the response of Paxton senior adviser Nick Maddux. The Tribune says it did not independently verify the Times' reporting.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Webb posted as Trump headed back to Texas to campaign for Paxton.
After the quotation
He added that Trump was coming back to "help" some more. In the excerpt the Times published, Paxton says the Dallas convention "dropped our numbers"; the reported excerpt does not refer to Trump making the midterms about himself.
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." Webb treats the recording as showing Trump "was hurting Republicans, including Paxton", so we labeled it Defended, meaning he supports the remark's assessment. The closest competing label is Condemned; it loses because his criticism targets Trump's campaigning, not Paxton's remark.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Donald Trump, Ken Paxton
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
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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- Webb says Paxton was caught on tape saying Trump was hurting Republicans
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The Dispute Index. "Webb says Paxton was caught on tape saying Trump was hurting Republicans". First published: 2026-10-17. Last updated: 2026-10-17. https://disputeindex.com/events/5989-webb-cites-the-recording-as-showing-that-trump