Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately lamented the impact of the Iran war and gas prices on his campaign in a meeting last month, telling a group of donors and lobbyists, "I don't make the decisions," according to audio obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: It's a candid admission from a close Trump ally about the challenging environment Republicans face this cycle.
- Paxton, the Texas attorney general, was speaking to donors and lobbyists at a closed-door fundraiser in Washington, D.C. The audio was provided to Axios by a person, granted anonymity because it was a private event, who was in the meeting and is opposed to Paxton.
- President Trump is set to rally with Paxton in San Antonio on Wednesday.
Driving the news: Asked by one attendee what issues are "dragging" on his campaign, Paxton responded, "It's not tariffs. ... It's the war, it's gas prices, it's diesel," according to an audio file obtained by Axios.
- "When it's over $6 per gallon for diesel ... people are feeling the pinch," he continued, adding that the rising cost of fuel "drives up food prices and everything else."
- The Republican candidate said affordability is "by far our biggest problem" and "why we're having a hard time with numbers."
Paxton pointed to his tax cut plan — which includes new housing and health care write-offs and an expansion of the child tax credit — as his proposed remedy on affordability.
- "I'm just trying to figure out ways I can help people. That's the only way: I can propose legislation," he said.
- When an attendee posited that Paxton "can't stop the war," the candidate responded "right" and said he has "no control over gas prices."
- "So many factors in this federal race are uncontrollable. I don't make the decisions, and I don't ... know what's behind some of the decisions," he added.
What they're saying: "This is a non-story. The Attorney General said what every Texan already knows: gas and diesel prices are too high, and hardworking Texans are struggling at the pump and at the grocery store," a Paxton campaign person told Axios.
- "President Trump is doing everything he can to bring prices down, and Ken Paxton is going to Washington to help him by putting money back in families' pockets."
Between the lines: Paxton said in the same meeting that Trump's midterm convention in Dallas "dropped our numbers," and that control of the campaign is "all coming ... from D.C.," according to separate audio obtained by The New York Times and Politico.
State of play: Paxton is facing off with Democratic state Rep. James Talarico after unseating Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in a May primary runoff.
- Polls of the race have largely shown Talarico narrowly leading. He would be the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas since the 1980s.
- Paxton has for years been one of Trump's most loyal allies. Trump returned the favor in the primary by endorsing Paxton despite Senate Republicans' pleas for him to back Cornyn.
Listen to the audio:
Photo: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images